


I See You

by NightOwl27



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Canon, Canon Rewrite, Drama & Romance, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Hizashi alive, NaruHina 2020, Neji not being an asshole, POV Alternating, Pre-Canon, Protective Hatake Kakashi, Slow Burn, Young fluff/older love, stronger together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:21:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 32
Words: 196,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27098041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightOwl27/pseuds/NightOwl27
Summary: The Hyuga Clan is not all that they seem. Their stoic and regal facade hides a web of lies woven by master manipulators to disguise dark secrets. Escaping the gilded cage of their machinations requires Hinata to find her inner strength and a little help from one of the most misunderstood, underestimated, unpredictable ninja the village has ever seen. Naruto is desperate for a friend who is willing to look underneath the underneath, and see him for who he is. Together the two friends fight for control of their own destiny, the restoration of a broken Clan, and the very survival of Shinobi.  Starts pre-canon then diverges, planning for a canon rewrite based on a Naruhina-centric friendship that builds into love and makes them stronger together.  Hyūga dynasty drama subplot. Slightly dark tone but with humor too. Hizashi is alive so Neji is not an asshole. Kakashi actually acknowledges Naruto’s existence early on. Also featuring Hiruzen with an actual backbone.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Shizune (minor), Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hizashi/Original Female Character (minor), Karin/Uchiha Sasuke (minor)
Comments: 104
Kudos: 207





	1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto. I originally posted this on my FanFiction account (same username) so the first few chapters will be uploaded quickly until I catch up to where I am currently writing.**

* * *

Hitomi wipes her face and looks in the mirror. The cold water has calmed some of the redness, but the puffiness around her eyes is still quite noticeable. It would be hard to disguise the fact that she spent the night crying into her pillow over the loss of her only friend. How could Kami be so cruel?

She slowly pulls her cloak over her kimono and bends to pick up the small bundle of blankets. They were intended to be a congratulatory gift for a new mother, hand knit with love for the much anticipated birth of her first child. _Now_ , she sighs, _they seem so pathetic._ Even the warmest blanket wrapped tightly around a babe could never replace the embrace of a mother.

Hitomi steps into her geta and begins her familiar walk to the Branch side of the compound. She glowers inwardly at the irony of the drizzling sky. _So cliche_. Kami does seem to have the cruelest sense of humor. However she cannot help but feel like bright sunshine and chirping birds would seem nigh on sacrilege in the face of the grief that she feels.

Hesitantly, she knocks on the door, and it slides open to reveal a tired looking woman Hitomi recognizes as a wet nurse from the Branch side. She straightens instantly and bows while smoothly sliding out of the way when she sees Hitomi. "Honorable wife, please come in from the rain! Hizashi-san is, um, well..." Hitomi quickly holds up a small hand to shush the babbling woman. "It's fine, Hiro-san. I'm just here to see the baby." She pulls the delicate blankets out from under her cloak and the woman nods in understanding. She takes Hitomi's wet garment and motions for her to follow along the short hallway.

Hitomi suppresses a shiver as she pads softly across the wooden floors behind the maid. Perhaps the blankets will be more purposeful than novelty after all. They pass Haya's room and Hitomi's gut clenches as a memory of the two of them giggling together when she had revealed she was with child washes over her. Now the doors were shut tightly, and had the maid not hinted at his presence earlier, Hitomi would not have known Hizashi was even there.

She paused and placed her hand on the panel of the door, the heavy feeling of grief was nearly palpable through the walls, as if the life had been sucked out of the home with Haya's death. A high pitched mewl snapped her head forward and Hitomi unconsciously gripped the blankets in her arm tighter.

"Oh that child," the wet nurse huffed without malice. "I cannot seem to satisfy him! The instant I lay him down—" her complaint is cut off when the cries intensify and Hitomi finds herself briskly brushing past the maid and leaning over the small crib. Without hesitation she scoops up the baby and her world slows down as startled pale eyes blink up her.

"Neji," she whispers is awe, involuntarily bouncing on the balls of he feet. The baby hiccups and sniffles but settles quickly in her embrace. The wet nurse watches, a sad smile on her face. "He's well fed and I just changed him before you arrived. I think he just needs to be rocked a bit more," she murmurs. Hitomi doesn't even look up as she nods. "Leave him to me. Go rest yourself. I'll fetch you if we need you." The maid bows and silently shuffles off to her futon, grateful for the respite.

Hitomi bends to pick up a blanket from where she tossed it unceremoniously on the chair beside the crib. She adjusts the baby upright, so his cheek rests against her heart, and hers against his head. Her eyes close as she inhales his sweet scent, a unique smell all babies seem to possess. She muses that perhaps it is the odor of innocence itself. She sways side to side in cadence with her heartbeat, and feels the baby relax heavily in her arms. A tear slowly slides from her eye and drops onto the soft blanket.

Hitomi wants to tell him how amazing his mama was. How excited she was to meet him. How much Hitomi admired her strength and quickness. She was always everything Hitomi was not, but Haya exuded a warmth that made it impossible to feel anything but camaraderie towards her only friend.

The two girls had each been chosen and married to the twin sons of the clan elder. Neither of them were shinobi, had never activated their Byakugan, never been trained to wield anything more deadly than cutlery knives. They were nothing more than breeding stock of elite rank. Hitomi was considered to be the more desirable match due to her lineage being more closely tied to the main house, and as such was given to Hiashi, the older son, and heir of the esteemed clan. But she had always felt the elders had been mistaken, for it was Haya who seemed the true pillar of strength. While Hitomi has suffered within her marriage, terrified of the cold Hiashi and unable to even speak without stuttering in his presence, it was clear that Hizashi had quickly fallen for his new bride. As time had passed and Hitomi had not produced an heir, she began to fear being branded and set aside. If it wasn't for Haya's faithful companionship, she was sure she would've thrown herself into the river by now. The woman was a saint. She should've been a mother. And now she was simply, gone.

Allowing her heart to remember her dearest friend, Hitomi held her nephew close, drawing her first bits of comfort from his warm weight in her arms since hearing yesterday of Haya's death.

"I promise you Neji, you won't ever be alone." She whispered into his downy hair, and began softly humming a lullaby while rocking him in her arms.

She was unaware of his presence, until his sharp gasp had her spinning on her heels, clutching the babe instinctively. Her body froze as she locked eyes with Hizashi from where he loomed in the doorway. The look of pain that crossed his face when he recognized her squeezed her heart like a vice.

"I heard singing, and I thought, for a moment, that it was all a dream, that she was still..." the words strangled in his throat, and she saw him swallow hard. Not daring to even breathe she remained still as he slowly moved towards her, hand tentatively outstretched. Hitomi couldn't tear her gaze away from the man as he gently laid trembling fingers on the baby's head.

"Is he, is he alright?" Hizashi murmured, his eyes focused on Neji's peaceful face as Hitomi gently shifted the sleeping baby so that the waning light of the evening revealed his features. She marveled at the striking resemblance between father and son.

She had always been perplexed as to how Hiashi and Hizashi could be so identical and yet so different, the scowl on her husband's face only seeming to be occasionally exchanged for an even more arrogant expression. And now, the look of utter tenderness and fear on those same features in front of her was so alien and intriguing.

Understanding of those emotions dawned as she studied his face. "Do you want to hold him, Hizashi-san?" She asked quietly. Silver eyes flicked to hers as if just remembering she was there and his hand tensed.

"I haven't, yet, um, well, ever, held such a small child," he mumbled. She gives him a gentle smile and gestures with her head to the rocking chair. After a few awkward moments of shifting blankets, Hitomi looks on with satisfaction as Hizashi settles his son in his arms. The child hardly even changes his breathing, as content as ever. The admiring father seems to have forgotten her already as his stares at his firstborn. Wiping away the tear trailing down her cheek, Hitomi quietly slips out of the room.

Out in the hallway, she had to lean against the wall with one hand pressed to her mouth and the other to her heart. Her chest constricts painfully with grief and, to her shame, envy at the beautiful scene of the adoring father cradling his son. _I myself will never know such a love, and Haya's chance was taken from her before she could enjoy it._

Hitomi saw herself out, not wanting to disturb the tired wet nurse unnecessarily. She stood on the steps of her friend's home, breathing in the refreshing coolness of the air as she lingered under the eaves before setting out through the drizzle back to her own quarters.

She pondered the future of the new father and son. Hizashi wouldn't be allowed to mourn for long. The Hyuga relied heavily on his skill and he frequently was sent away on missions for the village and the clan. Haya would have wanted Neji to know the constant comfort of a parental love. Hitomi could do that for her precious friend. She could never hope to replace the exuberant personality that was uniquely Haya, but Hitomi would pour every ounce of her love into this child for her sake.

Determination enhanced her steps and she quickly sprinted to her bed. She had to get some sleep, for she needed to be up early and return to her nephew.

* * *

Life went on. For how stubbornly the Hyuga clung to their precious traditions, they all too quickly left Haya's memory behind. It seemed only Hizashi shared her feelings, although he did not verbalize it. But she could tell, in the way he looks upon his son, Haya will never be forgotten to him.

Hitomi visits the child almost daily. She looks forward to seeing his smiles and hearing the sound of his infantile giggles as she tickles his toes. it is enough to make her heart melt. If Hizashi finds her frequent presence in his home uncomfortable, he does not say so nor try to prevent it. For herself, she prefers the hustle and bustle of the Branch side in general over the cold tranquility of the Main House proper. And Neji fills Hizashi's small dwelling with a warmth that Hitomi hasn't experienced since she herself was a child.

It is thus, how she once again finds herself packing her basket with herbs from her garden and quickly sliding into her geta to head over to the Branch quarters, when Hiashi's voice freezes her in her tracks.

"Going again, wife." It is not a question.

"I would hate to find that any duties of the clan were being ignored in favor of frivolous trivialities." Hitomi has to bite her tongue and school the scowl from her features before turning to present the blank mask of emotion she had learned to show to her husband.

"Is it not the duty of the Clan Head to ensure the wellbeing of all the Hyuga? Even more so that of his only nephew who has been ill and requires the remedies only my herbs can provide?" She bows her head as she gestures meekly to her basket of greens. Hiashi eyes the parcel carelessly. A huff is the only acknowledgment she receives as he turns and walks into the main wing of the compound, no doubt to hole up in his office as usual. Hitomi has long since learned that portraying herself as timid and boring buys her more freedom from his scrutiny.

Spinning on her heel, she rushes off. Thankfully Neji is not life-threateningly ill, but still, she can hardly stand his pathetic whimpers as he slumps lethargically against her chest. _He is getting so heavy these days_.  
  
Hitomi has been by his side for the whole of the day and now even as the night steals across the sky, she has rarely set him down. With Hizashi being out of the village, she is the closest thing he has to a doting parent and she refuses to pass off the child to anyone else. Running a hand across his face she sighs in relief to see that his fever appears to have finally broken, his cheeks returning to their cherubic pink hue from the red flush of earlier. Sinking deeper into the comfortable rocker in the corner of the nursery, Hitomi welcomes the sleep that settles over them both.

She is startled awake much later, unaware of what has roused her. Her hand grasps Neji's back but the baby is still blissfully asleep and breathing easily. The room is nearly black, and she almost jumps out of her skin when she notices the figure hovering over them.

"It's just me," a deep voice rumbles from the man, and she instantly relaxes, thankful that he won't be able to see the flush of her cheeks.

"You're back early," she whispers over the child's head, "I didn't expect you until tomorrow."

"It is tomorrow," he chuckles softly and places a hand on Neji's back. His fingers brush against her own, and she forces herself not to flinch. Hizashi seems unaware of her flustered emotions and quietly asks, "Is something wrong with Neji?"

"Oh no! I mean, well, he had a fever, but he's fine now, and he was just sleeping so peacefully I didn't have the heart to move him, and um, I guess, I kind of fell asleep..." she trailed off, rolling her eyes at her own rambling. Her discomfort was cut short however, as Hizashi slid his hand over her own. His strong fingers squeezed hers and she caught her breath as he bent over her, bringing his eyes within view in the dim light.

"Thank you," his voice was husky and the words were simple, but the look on his face conveyed the depth of his emotions. He was thanking her for everything, her time, her herbs, her presence day in and day out, it was all laid out in his silver gaze, and she shivered at the honesty he allowed her to see.

His hand slowly reached out and tucked a wayward strand of her midnight hair behind her ear, his fingers tracing the curve of her jaw before hesitantly pulling back. Hitomi unconsciously trailed after his touch, her heart crying out for the simple comfort, for the potential fulfillment it held. She swallowed hard and mentally shook herself as she quickly stood and awkwardly placed Neji back in his crib.

"It-it was nothing, my pleasure," barely whispers, keeping her back to Hizashi as she pressed a hand to her flaming cheek. Hitomi doesn't look back as she slips out of the room and heads for the door, intent on racing back to her bed before she makes a fool of herself any further.

As she reaches for her cloak, a large hand wraps around her wrist, the grip steady but not forceful. Hitomi's stomach flips. The skin of his hand is rough from life as a Shinobi, but the touch is gentle as it begins to slide upward. Goosebumps erupt across her arm as he continues up to her shoulder, tracing her collarbone lightly with his fingers, before placing his palm against her neck. She knows he can feel her pulse thrumming against his hand, and she dares herself to raise her eyes to his.

Their gazes lock, and Hitomi cannot hide her feelings from him. She opens her soul to the scrutiny of his venerable stare, allowing him to see her as she had never revealed herself to anyone. Her vulnerability, her pain, but also her desire, and her trust are bared to him.

"I see you," he whispers and she can feel his breath on her lips. His hand glides up into her hair, weaving into her silky tresses. Hitomi closes her eyes when she feels his arm tighten around her waist and offers no resistance when he pulls her close. The kiss is soft, hesitant, and sets sparks alight through her body. This feels right, so terrifyingly right.

Throwing caution to the wind, for the first time in her pathetic life, Hitomi grasps fate with both her hands, and breaks it. She opens her mouth and is rewarded when his tongue moves smoothly over hers. Her fingers sink into his shirt and she cannot stop the small moan the escapes as she revels in the heat that is consuming her. Her body is _alive_.

The two break apart, panting, but Hizashi doesn't loosen his embrace. Hitomi cannot stop staring at his mouth, and runs a trembling thumb across his lower lip. He tilts his head to touch his forehead to her own. She waits, with mounting anticipation as he brushes their noses together.

"Stay?" It is a question.A nod is the only answer she can manage.

That night Hitomi learns how love feels, how it tastes, and the power it wields. The desire that courses through her is intoxicating, his slow worship of her body awakens a side of her she has never dared release. Her walls crumble, she allows him to expose her body and soul, and he does not betray her trust. The deep affection coursing beneath the waves of passion are returned to her tenfold. She feels treasured, adored, beautiful. Laying in his arms, feeling his hot breath fan across the back of her neck as satisfied exhaustion pulls them both under, Hitomi knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she will always love this man.

She does not leave until just before dawn.

* * *

"Enter," Hiashi grunts at the knock to his office. He doesn't raise his head until he finishes his letter, leaving his wife to stand with head bowed while she awaits his attention. Hitomi does not shift, she does not twiddle her fingers, and she refuses to allow the red flush to creep further up her neck as she struggles to gain control of her emotions.

"Speak." Hitomi finally raises her head to see Hiashi sitting with a slightly annoyed look on his face. She has chosen her moment carefully, having heard from the gossip of the servants that the council has once again brought up the issue of an heir in the earlier council meeting. It has been three years since their marriage, and while he dutifully visited her chambers on a somewhat regular basis in the early days of their union, she knows that his attention has wandered in recent years, and she does not care, dreading the few conjugal visits she does endure with him. Hitomi long ago concluded that the asshole must be sterile, because she has noticed no string of bastards popping up in the Branch House. While her own ongoing affair with Hizashi is a desperately guarded secret, her husband does not see the need for such intense discretion. But she has found herself in a bit of a predicament now, and she must play her cards right. Hitomi takes a breath to steady her nerves and calm the growing nausea in her gut.

"What is it wife?" Hiashi demand impatiently.

"I b-believe that, should M-My Lord wish to, it would be a favorable t-time for me to visit you, in your ch-chambers, tonight," the last was nearly squeaked out. Hiashi raises a brow at the timid creature before him, scrutinizing her.

"Why do say that? Speak up."

"I have b-been growing a certain herb, to aid in these kind of, um, well with the, um, matter of c-conception. I-I have been drinking the tea for the p-past week now...and...and..." Hitomi blushes hard and looks down, unable to finish her sentence and fervently hoping he will not question her story.

Hiashi stares at her for heartbeat before grunting, "I see. Very well. Wait for me there."

Hitomi bows deeply and backs out of the room. She quickly slides the door shut behind her so he cannot see the smirk of her face.

Nearly nine months later, Hitomi gives birth to a tiny little girl with midnight colored fluff on her head the same color as her own. She is so pink and petite, the midwife muses that she must be quite early. Hitomi hears nothing and notices no one. She did not know her heart could contain so much love.

Hiashi is unimpressed by the diminutive infant, and less so with the fact it is a female.

It is in the wee hours of the morning after everyone has left, that Hitomi senses his presence. She turns to the man who had given her so much, a daughter, a nephew she adores, and a love she never dared hope to experience. He sits down gently beside her and hesitates only a moment before burying his face in her shoulder.

"Kami, I was so scared, Hitomi. Are you sure you're alright?" She hums against his hair and smiles as she feels him exhale deeply, allowing the tension to ooze out of his body. He lifts he head and stares into her eyes, gently brushing wayward strands of hair behind her ear in a familiar gesture of tenderness.

"I love you," he says, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She blushes and places her hand over his heart.

"I love you so much, Hizashi, I missed you." It is not said to elicit guilt, they both know the limits of their relationship. But she wants him to know that it was him she was thinking of, his devotion that spurred her on through the long hours of labor, his love that never let her give up in the face of all the pain.

Hizashi acknowledges her emotions without words, grasping her hand and kissing each fingertip one by one. She will never grow tired of the affection he showers upon her every chance he can get.

His gaze falls upon the small pile of fluffy blankets in her arms and Hitomi smiles at the way his silver orbs sparkle with anticipation.

"What will you name her?" he asks, as Hitomi gently peels open the swaddling to allow him to admire their daughter. Her pride knows no bounds as she sees his eyes light up at the tiny princess in her arms.

"Kami, she's beautiful, she looks just like you Hitomi," he breathes with awe as he traces a finger across the infant's cheek.

"Her name, is Hinata." Hitomi murmurs, forever carving this moment into her heart.

"Hinata," Hizashi repeats, smiling at the feel of it. "Yes, she is perfect."


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto huffed again, expelling steam from his mouth. "ROOAAR!" His ferocious growl reverberated around the woods. He stomped his feet, arms raised above his head and waving clawed fingers through the air. The sticks that had been jabbed into the snow were swiped away with a massive kick of his foot and the boy bared his teeth at the carnage of twigs and leaves. His fierce glare swept across the clearing, scanning the area for any ninja who dare try to thwart his pursuit of complete and utter destruction.

But nobody was there. Nobody was ever there.

The young boy sighed and sank to the frosted ground, plopping his chin into his hand. "Playing Ninjas and Kyuubi by yourself is no fun." It was a game he had observed the other children acting out on the playground and even at the orphanage from time to time. He had watched, green with envy, as they had run and laughed together, recreating the infamous story of the Yellow Flash Hokage slaying the Fox Demon and saving the village! He would do anything if they would just let him play too! But every time he would try to jump in, he would be met with looks of scorn. Heck, sometimes even the parents would actually _shoo_ him away like some stray mutt. He didn't get it. What did he ever do to any of them? Why was he so alone?

The growl of his stomach echoed nearly as loudly as his earlier imitations of the Kyuubi and the boy stood, brushing the snow from his worn pants. Burying tiny fists in his pockets and tucking his nose down into the ratty scarf that hung around his neck, Naruto started to make his way back to the village. Maybe, if he was lucky, that one ramen stand would let him have a pork bowl for dinner. The old man there either had yet to realize that Naruto was the village pariah, or just didn't care. Naruto hoped for the latter. _Plus the ramen is super yummy, dattebayo!_

An all too familiar sing song tone of mockery reached his ears and he leapt into a nearby tree on instinct. Slowly working his way through the branches he peered between the lattice of naked winter limbs to see who was the unlucky victim this time. What he saw made the blood in his little body boil.

Those assholes were at it again. But this time they had cornered some tiny little girl with interesting midnight colored hair. She was curled up in a ball, fists rubbing her tearful eyes as the three bullies hollered their taunts.

"Show us your creepy eyeballs Hyuga!"

"Not so strong now are you?!"

"You some kind of stupid monster or something?"

 _That does it!_ Naruto could take it when they yelled their awful insults, after all he was going to become Hokage someday and show everyone, dattebayo! But picking on this girl was just pure bullshit!

"Hey dickwads! Wassa matter, got tired of eating your boogers and decided making little girls cry was more fun? I always figured you sissies were too useless to pick a real fight!" The energetic blond punctuated his statement by lobbing three rapid fire snowballs straight into the boys' faces as they turned to address the source of the screaming. Naruto smirked as he landed neatly in front of the trembling girl, blocking her with his body. _Hee hee bullseye dumbasses._

His cockiness stuttered a bit as he got an up close view of his opponents. They looked bigger from down here. He gulped as he realized that these were academy students, not the usual playground pipsqueaks. _Oh shit!_

"Oh ho! Looks like the little weakling is the village idiot's girlfriend! I bet they live in a cave together with all their retarded monster babies!" Jeered the kid who seemed to think himself the leader, while the other two boys pantomimed drooling hunchbacks and staggered around.

Naruto was so furious he was snarling. "Knock it off you piece of shit!"

"Make me demon spawn!" And a melee erupted.

Hinata peered between her fingers in awe and horror as the blond boy began to rain ballistic punches on the little gang. She wanted to run but couldn't bring herself to abandon her savior. Unfortunately, the three bullies soon overwhelmed the screaming boy and proceeded to tear his scarf to shreds as he flailed around on the ground trying in vain to gain some kind of upper hand.

"Stop! Stop it! Leave him alone!" she whimpered, but was completely ignored. She wrung her hands as she anxiously tried to think of a way to intervene.

Suddenly a blur of brown hair collided with the largest bully, knocking him back several feet onto his ass. The others turned to see who had decided to join the fight but froze when they saw the piercing cold eyes of the Byakugan staring back at them.

"You are within my range," came the stern threat. The infamous stance of The Gentle Fist combined with a merciless glare had the other two bullies freezing mid swing.

"Shit, it's a real Hyuga! RUN!" Snow sprayed through the air as the erstwhile tormentors fled into the forest. Hinata quickly brushed past the scowling new arrival and rushed to help the unknown blond sit up.

Naruto groaned as he rubbed his cheek and tried to focus on the blurry figure kneeling next to him. After blinking a few times, dainty features with wide pale eyes that reminded him of moons came into focus. He gazed at her mouth as she spoke, but his rattled brain couldn't quite make sense of her words. _She's cute_ , he thought dazedly.

"Neji-niisan, is he going to be ok?" Hinata glanced up at her cousin, worriedly biting her bottom lip. The older boy rolled his eyes but before he could answer, the kid seemed to shake the cobwebs from his brain and started to try and stand up. Hinata steadied him as best she could, gripping his hand tightly as she leaned in again to peer into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. She got a good look at her original savior. _He's cute_ , the thought had a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Who are you?" Neji asked from behind her, already sizing up this scrawny kid who somehow was shorter than his own petite cousin, but the smile the boy beamed at them was big and genuine.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm gonna be the next Hokage, dattebayo!" The enthusiastic introduction had Hinata giggling and he turned to her, looking at their joined hands. She gasped slightly and yanked her hand away, timidly tapping her fingertips together as she mumbled, "M-my name is Hyuga Hinata, and this is m-my cousin, Hyuga Neji. Th-thank you for helping me. You d-didn't have to do that." She bowed her head slightly in appreciation, but also to hide the deepening pink on her face.

Naruto looked at her like she had just said pigs could fly, "Why not? They were hurting you, of course I had to stop them. Someday I'm going to be a super strong ninja and make sure nobody gets hurt ever again!"

Neji couldn't suppress a snort at the ridiculous statement. As the blond turned narrowed eyes on her cousin Hinata smoothly interjected, "I c-can replace your scarf Uzumaki-san, as thanks f-for your help." He blinked at her offer, surprise coloring his features.

"Nah its fine," he grinned and rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish way. "It was super scratchy, I don't really need it, I guess..."

Naruto stared at Hinata's pale eyes. They almost looked lavender when she smiled that way. He'd never seen anybody with eyes like that before. They seemed much more alive compared to those of her cousin next to her, as if they could express a thousands thoughts in a heartbeat without ever saying a word.

Hinata was equally intrigued by the whisker marks framing his easy smile. There was something about him that just felt nice. He wasn't looking at her like she was a freak or something.

"Ah-HEM," Neji cleared his throat before the two bored holes in each other's faces with their staring. "Hinata-sama, my father will be worried if we don't get home soon. Good bye Uzumaki-san, thank you again."

Hinata acknowledged her cousin with tiny nod, unable tear her eyes away from Naruto's friendly face as she was pulled back towards the compound. The blond boy raised his hand in farewell and gifted her with a smile as bright as the sun while calling out, "Just call me Naruto, dattebayo!"

Rounding the bend Neji couldn't hold back his chuckle. "Hokage? Sounds like delusions of grandeur to me. Did you see the lump he was already growing on his head?"

Hinata raised a brow at her smirking cousin. Tilting her head she coyly asked, "Neji-niisan, you don't even know the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms technique yet, do you?" She smiled knowingly at him.

The older boy crossed his arms with a pout.  
"They don't know that."

* * *

  
It was time! Finally, after watching for a full week, he'd found his opening. This family sure was weird, always patrolling their compound like they guarded Kami's secrets themselves. _Sheesh_. And he was not a stalker! Those losers were the perverts who lurked around the bath houses giggling like idiots. Naruto was just trying to see his friend! At least he thought she was a friend? _I hope she is..._

It had been a few weeks ago, when Naruto had first seen her again after the incident in the woods. She was walking through the market with an older man who looked like her father. Overjoyed at the familiar face, the boy had exuberantly bounced through the crowd, garnering no small amount of curses (which he ignored as always) before landing in front of the two Hyuga with unusual grace for a child.

"Hi there Hinata! Whatcha doin?" The exclamation had been as abrupt as his entrance and the girl had squeaked as she ducked behind the man's white kimono.

Naruto had blinked, leaning around to look at her flushed face more closely, "Hinata? Are you sick or something?"

"Hinata-sama is a bit shy is all. And who may you be?" the deep voice of the man surprisingly held no malice in it and Naruto stepped back to look up at the tall figure with the long dark hair. Silver eyes gazed down at him, no hatred betrayed in their depths, and a patient aura surrounded him as he gently rested a comforting hand on Hinata's back to draw her forward.

"N-Naruto-kun is the boy I told you about, Ojisan. The one who s-stopped the boys in the woods." Having remembered how to breathe, Hinata had finally found her words, but still poked her fingertips together timidly.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and flashed one of those amazingly bright grins that Hinata found so mesmerizing, "Nah it was nothin' for the future Hokage of Konoha, believe it!" The blond's attention refocused on the girl with the fascinating eyes and he missed the twist of Hizashi's mouth as he smothered a laugh.

"Are y-you hungry, Naruto-kun? We s-stopped to get some cinnamon buns on our way to go m-meet Neji-niisan at the academy, he's a f-first year." Hinata was proud of herself for getting so many words out in a row. She usually was so nervous around strangers that she could only stutter incoherently. But there was something about this loud boy that just drew her to him. She slipped the bag off her arm and extended it to Naruto.

"They're m-my favorite. But Neji-niisan d-doesn't like them, he says they're t-too messy and sweet."

"Sounds perfect to me! Thanks Hinata! You're awful nice!" Naruto licked his lips and he plucked one of the pastries from the sack. _No kid has ever shared their own food with me before_ , he thought with glee as he loudly gulped down the treat.

Hizashi watched the children chatter, well, the loud blond chattered, Hinata mostly just giggled. He studied the spiky bright hair and the marks on the boy's round cheeks. _Ah, so he is that child. I see. He bears quite a resemblance to that man, the council must be blind._

Glancing around the market area he saw the looks of hatred being cast at the child and frowned. The fools didn't seem to know the difference between a kunai and a sealing scroll. Naruto appeared unaware or uncaring of all the negative attention, his face radiating joy as he animatedly described to an awestruck Hinata some prank he had just pulled off. This time Hizashi couldn't suppress a small smile. This interesting duo would bear watching. If his suspicions about Naruto's background were ever proven to be true, he indeed could be looking at the future Hokage. If he possessed half the bravery that Hinata accredited to him, and could actually execute the elaborate stunts he was currently bragging about, his promises could very well be worth acknowledgment. _Yes, worth watching indeed._

"Come, Hinata-sama, we must be on our way. It was a pleasure to meet you, Naruto-kun." Hizashi reached for her tiny hand and she blushed again as she quickly bowed to smiling boy, who waved and hollered his thanks for the pastries.

Naruto watched them disappear in the direction of the ninja academy. _I hope I can see her again soon._

Another two weeks had passed before Naruto was able to find her again. He had first tried posting up outside the academy, thinking he would catch her and her cousin, hoping they would want to go play at the playground. It was kind of one of his dreams, to play with friends until the sun went down. But they had never showed, and when Naruto had finally seen Neji one day, the older boy had informed him that Hinata-sama was very busy with clan duties and couldn't be bothered to walk him home from school everyday. This had Naruto sulking, especially when Neji declined his invite to come play anyways.

He had been ready to shuffle off and head down to walk the riverbanks alone when he heard a long-suffering sigh behind him.

"If you wish to walk with me, that would be acceptable," Neji mumbled. He personally found the endlessly energetic blond to be a bit overstimulating, but his father had encouraged him and his cousin to give the boy a chance, and ignore the inexplicable animosity that it seemed most people directed the blond's way.  
  
Approaching the compound entrance, Naruto whistled in appreciation.

"Holy cow, this is your home? This place is HUGE. Who are you people anyways?" Neji's eye had started to twitch and a sharp retort was on his lips when he saw who was on gate duty at the compound today. Frowning, he recognized the two as Hyuga chunin who took no small pleasure is belittling anyone they thought would give their ego's a boost. Definitely the kind of people Naruto should avoid.

Neji stopped walking and Naruto did the same, following his gaze to the teenagers standing by the entrance. With sharp instincts honed from shouldering so much contempt in such a short life, he quickly understood why Neji had paused. His shoulders slouched and he began turn away, kicking a rock with his shoe in frustration.

"I, um, guess I'll just see you around..."

"Wait here." Neji disappeared without any further explanation, leaving Naruto to stare in confusion.

"The hell..?" Curiosity had him nearly twitching with anticipation by the time Neji returned with a small parcel in his hand.

Poorly hiding his exasperation at being reduced to a messenger boy, Neji had thrust the thing at Naruto and hurriedly stated, "Its from Hinata-sama. Ever since, _that day_ , she has been forbidden from leaving the compound without a proper escort. I have to go train now, so, there it is. Good bye Naruto."

Blue eyes, wide as saucers, gleamed with unbridled joy as Naruto's hands reached out to grasp the gift as if it were made of glass. As annoying as this all was, Neji had to admit to himself as he strode back into the compound, that the look of wonder on the blond's face was one of the most heartwarming things he had ever seen.

Naruto had managed to contain himself until he was up in his favorite tree in the forest on the edge of the village, far from the evil glares of the matrons and grabbing hands of the other kids at the orphanage. Carefully opening the paper he almost dropped the note that was tucked into the softest, warmest, most beautiful red scarf he had ever seen. He buried his face in the cozy garment and inhaled deeply.

"Cinnamon buns," he murmured, and smiled softly. He could hardly read the note through his watering eyes.

_Naruto-kun,_

_Thank-you again for saving me. I knitted you this scarf to replace the one that was ruined. My Kaa-san taught me. I hope you like the color._

_~Hinata_

"No one has made me anything before," he murmured. Wrapping his treasure securely around his neck, he looked in the direction of the Hyuga Estate.

"Hinata," he whispered to the wind, for it was the only one listening. Does this mean they are friends? This is something friends do for each other, right? Kami, he really wanted to call her his friend!

"There's only one way to find out, dattebayo!" Leaping from the branch and landing neatly in a crouch, just like he always did, Naruto tore off in the direction of the massive compound. He would find a way to talk her himself, no matter how long he had to wait!

It had all come down to this moment, he had carefully picked tonight as the night he would finally confront Hinata and ask her to be his friend. If she couldn't come to him, then he would go to her. Simple right? It sure as hell would be easier if those jerks at the gate would just chill out.

Naruto leapt from tree to tree, careful not to rain snow down onto the street below and alert the Hyugas to his presence. All he had to do was get past the guards while they were distracted during shift change and he was in business! In all of his eagerness, the problem of actually finding Hinata once he made it into the compound had not yet dawned on him.

In the dim lighting of the starry night Naruto closed in on the gate. But before he was able make his move, he noticed something was off. The guards were laying down? _What the heck..._

 _Blood_. Naruto smelled it, unmistakable in the clear cold air. _Shit! Who the-_

His thoughts were cut off as his keen eyes caught sight of a dark figure disappearing around the far corner of the compound and heading for the forest. _Not good, not good, not good!_

Thinking fast, Naruto grabbed one of his favorite exploding prank pouches, a really loud one filled with orange paint that he'd been saving for that one asshole who'd thrown the rotten produce at him the other day. He chucked it as hard as he could in the direction of the unconscious guards, knowing that the other patrolling Hyuga would hear it and activate their Byakugan thingys to investigate. Turning, he took off after the fleeing shadow, not pausing to look back and admire his handiwork when he hears the paint bomb explode.

Naruto knows the forests better than most, it is his playground, his second home, and his way to get from place to place on a daily basis whilst avoiding as much exposure to the villagers as possible. This knowledge serves him well, for now he is easily closing in on what he assumes has to be a ninja, based on the way they move through the trees, albeit with more hesitancy. _And what the heck is on his back?_

Whatever it is, even the burly ninja is struggling to maintain his hold of it. He suddenly drops to the ground and growls as he hurls the bag over his shoulder and into the snow.

"Little bitch! How dare you bite me!" He screams and paws open the bag, which had been suspiciously rolling around. When Naruto sees the unmistakable shine of the uniquely midnight blue hair in the moonlight, his heart stops. _No, not her!_

The boy frantically scrabbles for his make shift "ninja" pouch that he keeps with a few shuriken and one kunai that he scavenged from the training grounds. His hands tremble as he hurriedly ties his last prank pouch to the loop of the kunai. He hears her screaming and glancing up, nearly drops the whole bag at the sight of her clawing and kicking at the overpowering shinobi who is attempting to pin her down and gag her. _Kami please, if you have any pity for me whatsoever, don't let me miss!_

Naruto quickly wipes his sweaty hand on his pants and grips the kunai. He's been practicing out in the woods, but the adrenaline now coursing through his veins is nearly choking him. 

Kidnapper and Rescuer unconsciously mirror each other as they simultaneously draw back their arms to deliver deadly blows. Both intending to send their victim to oblivion. 

Hinata knows she's done. The beast is obscenely bigger than her, and no matter how hard she struggles there is no escaping the bruising grip around her neck as he pins her to the snow. The gag around her face is stifling to the point where she is ready to pass out. Time seems to slow down when she looks up from under sweaty bangs to see his fist cocked. She feels the cold bite of the snow on her back. The rank smell of his body odor surrounds her. Her muffled screams turn to sobs and bile burns the back of her throat. The stars twinkle mockingly, ignoring her desperation as a kunai slashes through the air behind him. _Wait, what?_

The world goes white for an instant and in the confusion she hears the ninja bawling curses at the unknown attacker. Hinata kicks her heels into the ground, trying to put distance between herself and the ninja, awkwardly attempting to wipe her eyes with her sleeve despite her bound wrists. 

"You piece of shit! I'm gonna kill you with my bare hands!" the kidnapper is practically frothing with rage as he spins to face a small figure in a bright red scarf that has just landed several yards away. 

Hinata freezes in her attempts to crawl away when she hears a familiar voice scream, "It's not my fault your fat ass is too big to miss! Let my friend go or there's more where that came from!" 

Naruto pulls out the last of his pouch's contents and strikes his most menacing shinobi pose, shuriken held at the ready in each hand. He's bluffing, but he's hoping it will be enough to allow Hinata a window of escape. She just needs to _keep moving_ damnit! This guy will probably tear through him in seconds, but it'll be worth it if she can get away. _I cannot lose my first friend!_

Naruto risks a glance in her direction and blue eyes lock onto silver. She looks terrified, frozen. He gives her a wink, and a grin that's a bit shaky before hurling the shuriken with all his might.

"Pathetic," the ninja chuckles as he easily bats them away with his own kunai. "What else was I expecting from the Leaf but weak little wannabe warriors. Now it's my turn." 

As the man's hands began to fly through seals, Naruto swallowed hard and looked once more at Hinata. _GO_ he mouthed at her and saw her take a hesitant move backward, tears streaming down her cheeks. The man had finished and was yelling the name of some jutsu. Naruto tensed he legs to jump as high he could in a last ditch effort to avoid whatever kind of death was headed his way. 

Before his body could obey his brain he was enveloped in a bright vortex. He grit his teeth expecting an explosion of pain, but all he felt was the rush of chakra around him, and the sound of a voice yelling _Kaiten_! 

From his knees, Naruto gaped upwards as a Hyuga ruthlessly assaulted the kidnapper. The hail of palm strikes was so fast he couldn't track them, blood spewed from the man's mouth. Naruto scrambled across the snow towards Hinata, who was also staring that the brutal attack.

"Are you ok Hinata? Come here, let me help you," Naruto forced his voice to be calm, the poor girl was nearly hyperventilating. His chubby fingers fumbled a bit with the knot but he was able to free her from the gag at last. Just then he heard the unmistakable crack of bones breaking. The two children held each other as they turned to see the Hyuga deliver a final strike to the ninja's chest that nearly exploded out his back. The body collapsed to the ground, a black shadow against the bluish glow of the snow.

"Hinata, Naruto, are you hurt?" Hizashi was instantly on his knees running hands over both children's heads. Hinata could only whimper, the traumatic events having long since robbed her of words. Naruto answered for them both. 

"I'm fine, the bastard tied her up, but I didn't see him hit her." A kunai made quick work of the ropes around her wrists and Hinata was in her Ojisan's arms in a heartbeat. Hizashi gently shushed her, murmuring soothing words of comfort while Naruto sighed, taking in all the emotions. _So this is what it's like, to be loved..._

Hizashi reached out and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, clasping it firmly and startling him. Blue eyes leveled to his gaze, and Hizashi saw the longing barely hidden within them. 

"Thank you, again, Naruto-kun, for saving Hinata-sama. I am forever in your debt," his hand moved to ruffle the wild blond locks. 

"You will be a formidable Hokage one day," he smiles gently as the boy's eye light up with a determination and pride that brings up images of another blond shinobi Hizashi once knew. Running footsteps can be heard approaching and Hizashi's expression turns serious. 

"You need to go, Naruto-kun. What is going to happen now will bring you more danger than glory. Tell no one what you saw." Naruto nearly objected but Hizashi's silver gaze turned to steel and he knew the man would brook no arguments. He nodded quickly and smiled at Hinata from where she peered out from her uncle's embrace. 

"Th-thank you Naruto-kun, you're a w-wonderful friend," whispered, and Naruto blushed the whole way home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Hitomi collapsed onto her bed, exhaustion and emotion making her feel as if she had aged decades in a single night. After ensuring that Hinata was indeed asleep and safe, the mother had fled to her tiny garden sanctuary before finally allowing herself to fall apart. She hadn't even realized her daughter was missing before Hizashi was already returning with the girl tucked in his arms, trembling like a kitten. Hitomi had rushed to them, scooping Hinata's petite body up while Hizashi had surreptitiously pressed a kiss to the top of Hitomi's head. "Take her to bed, she needs her mother. I will deal with rest. For now, just be with her."

A tender glance of comfort was all that Hizashi could offer at that moment. Hitomi had nodded, giving his arm a tight squeeze before she carried away the little girl whom she loved more than life itself. A warm bath and fresh soft pajamas had soothed Hinata as the story tumbled out between sobs. Hitomi had nearly dropped her when she heard how close they had come to losing the precious child. She tucked her daughter into bed and crawled in next to her, holding her close until sleep eased her mind. The mother couldn't help but smile softly as Hinata blushingly described her blond hero. _Naruto again? I see..._

She had waited until Hinata's breathing was easy and even before slipping out to the herb garden that she kept well away from the main house. Within the refuge of the lattice fence, she finally allowed herself to go to pieces as she sobbed out her pent up panic and anger.

 _I am so useless_ , she mourned internally as she raked her fingers along her scalp in frustration. Listlessly sliding down to the cold ground, she yanked on snarled strands of hair while continuing to berate herself. _Even if I had known, there is nothing I could have done. She would be long gone if it were not for Hizashi and Naruto-kun._ Her head fell back against the wood with a thump and she glared up at the stars. _Why has Kami trapped me in this worthless existence? Everything I desire, that I strive for, is blocked from me. My poor daughter is destined to follow my path and my hands are tied to change any of it. I am as much a caged bird as any Branch member._

The indulgence of her self pity was only fleetingly tolerated. Before long, Hitomi had pulled herself together, wrapped her cloak tightly around her shivering body and trudged back to her room. The mother cast one last baleful glare at the heavens, where at times she was sure Kami had fallen asleep on duty. There would be no mercies of fate to lean upon. This incident would not go ignored. It would be a ripple that could easily grow into a tsunami, wreaking destruction upon carefully constructed dreams.

Restlessly turning over in her bed, she tried to stamp down her mounting anxiety. Even as her body begged for the sweet oblivion of sleep, her mind was spinning. She had to try and anticipate the next move in the game. Within the Hyuga, ignorance was rarely bliss.

* * *

Hiashi's glare could melt ice. Had the Hokage been a lesser man, hell, a lesser Shinobi, he would have been face down on the tatami mats begging for mercy. As it was, he stood as a mountain stands against the raging wind, hands clasped behind his back, not a note of uneasiness in his body.

"I will not repeat myself, Hiashi-san. This is what is best for The Leaf. We have already lost the Uchiha, only just recovered from the Kyuubi attack, and the desolation of The Third War still hangs over us like a black cloud. We cannot sustain a battle, let alone a prolonged engagement of any kind." A note of gentleness crept into his voice and Hiruzen's eyes softened. "I know what it is I am asking of you, Hiashi. If I were in your place, I would expect no less from myself and my clan. Sacrificing your life is the only way."

It was only due to having years of protocol and custom beaten into him that Hiashi was barely able to restrain himself from sneering back at the aged Hokage. _How dare he make such demands of The Hyuga!_ Ever since the demise of those psychotic Uchiha, the Hyuga had easily stepped into the position of premier clan of The Leaf. Hiashi had personally seen to it that their influence spread far and wide throughout the web of politics within the Land of Fire. No one could dispute the honor and worth of the Byakugan. This high level of prestige hinged on the belief that the Byakugan was inaccessible and infallible. And it was these very beliefs that were so infuriatingly brought into question by the very child who's kidnapping had sparked the current debacle.

Hiashi had long been disappointed, disgusted even, by the pitiable child produced by his wife. Aside from being female, which in his opinion made her inherently questionable as future clan head, the child had manifested all of her mother's weaknesses. Why was it that his brother had been the one blessed with a prodigy the likes of which the Hyuga had not seen in generations? It was unacceptable for the Main Branch to be insulted by Kami in such a way. Adding salt to the wound was the fact that his own cursed woman had not continued to produce a more suitable offspring. _Surely she is tainted, and has passed her corruption on to that girl._ How could such a weakling have sprung from his loins? It was incomprehensible.

Hiashi's mind wandered to the captivatingly witty conversation he had exchanged with the young and beautiful Ane-san as they strolled around the koi pond earlier that day. The woman was practically hypnotizing in the way she swayed down the path, hand resting with just the right amount of pressure on his arm. Did she have any idea how her kimono gaped open to reveal creamy, soft cleavage when she bent to toss food at the swarming fish? The way he craved her was agonizing, he was determined to claim her, she couldn't hold out for forever. Not against the Clan Head himself. But Ane-san's demands for acknowledgment of their relationship, not simply a quick rendezvous, were a legal nightmare for obsessed man. As long as Hitomi and Hinata walked the halls of the Main House, Hiashi would be denied all his desires on all counts. For the millionth time he found himself wishing there was a way to just erase them all, start over... _wait, yes_. Pieces started clicking into place and soon Hiashi's mind locked onto an idea. _Kill two birds with one stone_.

Hiashi stood abruptly. "I understand Hokage-sama. I will have everything arranged by midnight." The Third Hokage narrowed his gaze upon the stone faced man. Hiruzen was no fool, he had observed the power grab that had characterized Hiashi's rise as Clan Head. Many had hailed him as the esteemed leader who elevated the Hyuga into preeminence. The man who had orchestrated the recognition and glory the clan had always deserved. However, this rise in status had also succeeded in increasing the disparity between Branch and Main House to the point where the clan's dynamics more resembled that of servant and master than family. The borderline barbaric practice of sealing the Branch members had the Hokage frequently cursing the village laws that forbid him from interceding in the politics of any clan.

And the game of politics was where Hiashi excelled. Which only served to make this sudden capitulation even more suspicious in the eyes of the Hokage. The Raikage had delivered the nigh unbelievable demand that an unsealed Hyuga be given in recompense for the life of the Lightning Shinobi killed by Hizashi, threatening all out war as his ultimatum. Hiruzen had physically flinched when he first read the scroll, knowing that logic dictated the fact that a sacrifice of one person was justifiable in the effort save the lives of thousands. It was a heartbreaking reality of true leadership, a reality that the Yondaime had willingly given his life to uphold. And the wizened old man didn't trust Hiashi to do the same.

"See to it that you do," was Hiruzen's cold response. He turned and slowly departed from the council chambers. Walking past the guards he glimpsed the figure of Hizashi leaning against the wall in the shadows, and paused.

"He has agreed then?"

Hiruzen grunted in affirmation as he reached for his pipe, lighting it neatly with a small jutsu. "He has said as much. However, to what degree he will comply remains to be seen." He settled the familiar object between his teeth, and pinned Hizashi with dark eye. "Be on your guard. The spider is spinning his web." He didn't wait for a response before stepping into the night.

* * *

Hitomi stepped out of the night through the sliding door. She had seen Hinata to bed herself, again declining the aid of the maids in preference of offering her daughter the comfort of a loving parent's embrace. She had done a lot of thinking since the incident with the Kumo ninja, and Hitomi's instincts were telling her that something was coming. Hizashi's warning to be on her guard was superfluous, for she knew her husband. She was not blind to his machinations towards her, nor deaf to the hushed rumors that leaked from behind the closed council meeting's doors. Neither was she so ignorant that she couldn't predict their consequences. The recent incident had escalated everything. And once again she was at the mercy of Hiashi's decision. But this time, she had laid plans of her own.

Hitomi was no longer the weakling that Hiashi dismissed her to be. To survive amongst the Hyuga, in the very den of lions that is the Main House, one must be resilient at the least, and conniving at best. She had proven as much to herself when she had cast all tradition aside in pursuit of her heart, refusing to relinquish her love despite the danger involved.

The door slid shut behind her, and she paused at the desk to run her fingers across the paper of the letters. Her very life was contained within the words on these pages. Hitomi understood the risk, but there came a time when the lies could no longer be born. She would be strong for Hinata. She would show her how to face her demons with head held high. How to weather the storms that would otherwise sink those fragile souls who navigated their destiny with hesitance instead of fearlessness. How to walk unwaveringly towards her dreams and grab onto them with both hands. She must show her how stand for the hard truth, against the easy lies.

Hitomi's thoughts were interrupted by the knock of a Branch House guard. "Hitomi-sama, Hiashi-sama summons you to the council chambers at once." Soft footsteps disappeared quickly, not waiting for her to follow. Hitomi stood still, staring straight ahead at the wall, where her eyes came to rest on the familiar painting of a bird on the branch of a cherry blossom tree. She had always imagined that the bird had a look of longing in its eye as it watched the sakura blossoms float away on the wind, carried off by an unseen hand with complete trust that wherever they landed, they were in the arms of destiny. Perhaps the bird had just forgotten that it too could fly? That it possessed the strength to lift its wings to the breeze and soar above them all, untouchable. Free. Perhaps, it was time to remember.

* * *

Hiashi dropped the scroll he was attempting to read when Hitomi finally entered the council chambers. It was late, and he needed to make his move quickly, before the Elders were completely aware of exactly what he was conspiring to do and demanded to have a say in the matter.

"You took your time," he snapped. The regal countenance he so carefully maintained around most people had recently seemed to slip in the presence of this woman. She was infuriating, and her growing aloofness only fed his ire. Her posture was straight, her steps were even, and her hands calmly clasped. It was as though she no longer saw him as someone to be feared. Hiashi narrowed his eyes on her bowed head. _I will remind her of her place, once and for all._

Hitomi did not respond, knowing he was not looking for a verbal answer, but for her to wince and tremble. She refused to cower. Not anymore. The die had been cast, she had made her moves, and now she awaited her judgment.

Hiashi slowly walked towards her, the picture of intimidation. He had never laid a hand on her, never raged or screamed at her. His way was to dominate, control, and manipulate. He would break her down piece by piece until she was left questioning her very existence in this world. Tonight was his checkmate.

"The Sandaime has demanded that we settle negotiations with Kumo for the attempt they made at taking the girl." He refused to call her his daughter. "The price for peace, is an unsealed Hyuga." Hiashi circled Hitomi, slowly. Close enough for her to feel the air shift as he loomed over her, close enough for him to feel her fear.

But he felt nothing.

He ground his teeth as he rounded on her, catching her serene expression in profile. "As a loyal member of The Leaf I am left with no choice but to comply. However, I will not be so stupid as to send them that which they think they have obtained in this insulting compromise. They can have what was originally wanted, a breeding mare, for it is of no use to me anyways." Hitomi's whole body tensed, her knuckles turning white. Hiashi closed in and squared up to face her as she raised eyes filled with hatred to him.

"The Elders will never allow you to give Hinata away to those-"

"I never said anything about the girl." Hiashi sneered, his eyes twinkled at Hitomi's frozen expression. He waited for the panic to crush her like a fly realizing it was caught in the spider's web, too tangled to escape. But her infernal mask of calm slid back into place.

Anger swept through him and he began to lose control. "Don't think that I am blind woman. _I see you!_ You think you can continue to call yourself my wife, to call yourself a Hyuga when you cannot even fulfill the most basic role that nature had bestowed upon your useless sex and give me a goddamned heir that is worthy of my legacy!" He paced before her like a lion in a cage, licking it chops at the sight of its prey.

"You thought you were safe within the traditions of the Hyuga, didn't you, _wife_? That I would not dare to put you aside for fear of tarnishing my reputation? You have underestimated me. They all have! I _will_ send them an unsealed Hyuga. _You_ , and your useless eyes, and your tainted womb, shall be delivered to the gates at midnight. And don't worry about the pathetic girl, I am sure she will make a welcome addition to the Branch House."

Footsteps thundered down the hallway and the door slid open with such force the ink wells on the desk rattled. Hizashi was breathing hard, the veins around his eyes bulging as his gaze passed first over Hiashi and then Hitomi. He blinked when he took in her expression, the mask of deference she had firmly locked in place, but her eyes spoke to him as clearly as always. _Please_ , they seemed to beg, _don't interfere._

Ignoring her painful gaze he faced down his twin. "Hiashi you cannot be serious! Kumo is obviously expecting you to be the exchanged party. This trickery will start a war that we cannot hope to-"

"Do not presume you have any right to tell me my mind! If you were not already sealed I would have sent your body to them without a second thought. As it is, my leadership is needed here, and I certainly do not intend to present them the Byakugan on a silver platter. Let them try to breed her, they will soon discover how useless her spawn turn out to be." Hiashi squared up to his brother, the only person who could claim to be his equal, if he dared. Should his younger twin forget, the Clan Head would not hesitate to remind him of his place. Hiashi unconsciously rocked his weight onto his toes, poised for any attack.

To his surprise, no challenge was put forth, but instead his brother turned his back on him, focusing on Hitomi. The cold mask that she had carefully kept over her features the whole time Hiashi had berated the woman seemed to melt away as Hizashi reached out for her. _What the hell is going on?_

Hizashi's hand wavered as he reached out to tuck a strand of that wonderfully silky midnight hair behind her ear. Her eyes swam with unshed tears and she bit her lip to keep it from trembling. Oh how she hated to hurt this man. This wonderful man who had restored her soul with his love. Who had given her everything her heart desired and more. But he must see, there was no other way. This was her destiny, the one that would free her, free Hinata, and she could finally decide her own fate.

Hizashi pressed his forehead to hers, just as he had that night all those years ago, and once again hoarsely uttered the word that had changed her life.

"Stay." It wasn't a question this time.

They both knew this was the end. Hitomi gripped his arm, slowly pulling his hand from where it had tangled into her hair, and stepped back to look him in the eyes.

"Take care of her," she whispered. If she meant to say more it was cut off my the rage of the beast behind them.

" _Whore_!" Hiashi hissed. The shock of the revelation had momentarily frozen him, but now he descended upon the pair, hand raised to strike Hitomi with the full force of his wrath."How dare you-"

"You will not touch her." Byakugan instantly activating Hizashi delivered a single palm strike that was enough to bring Hiashi to a knee and blood to fill his mouth.

"Insubordinate...piece of shit," the Clan Head gasped out, and performed a certain hand seal.

Inhuman screams brought guards thundering into the council chambers, a few Elders shortly behind them. Hitomi was on the floor cradling Hizashi's convulsing body as best she could, tears streaming down her face, begging Hiashi to stop.

"Enough! Hiashi, control yourself! What is the meaning of this?" demanded the twin's father, who remained an old but commanding Elder on the council since passing on the position of Head, and who could still strike fear into any Hyuga with his icy stare.

Hiashi released the hand seal and stood up, breathing deeply through his nose and running a hand over his hair to regain some semblance of dignity. He looked coldly down at his brother, who had lost consciousness, before turning to meet the expectant faces of the Elders. Hiashi's fury may be strong but his pride was stronger. He refused to allow the elders to see him as a cuckold, disgraced by the pathetic wife who was his to keep under control. No one could know he had been passed over in favor of his own brother, of all people. _I must make this all disappear._

"I have made my decision in regards to the negotiations the Sandaime has presented on behalf of Kumo and Konoha. Hizashi questioned my judgement and has been reprimanded for his insolence." Without allowing a pause for the Elders to question what exactly that decision was, Hiashi turned to his guards and barked out orders. "Remove this woman. You know where to take her."

The guards snapped to obey, but gripped Hitomi gently as they pulled her to her feet. She watched Hizashi's prone form slide off her lap and onto the floor. Keeping her eyes fixed on him until the door slid shut behind her.

The air in the dark hallway of the Main House was stifling. The walk seemed to stretch on forever. As Hitomi finally stepped out into the moonlight, a cool night breeze lifted the hair from her shoulders. Long, midnight tresses danced around her body, spreading out like wings in anticipation of flight. Freedom called to her on the wind, and she boldly stepped off the edge.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Hinata blinked at the lights of the council chambers, still rubbing sleep from her eyes. While the Branch guard, she thought his name was Ko, had been gentle in removing her from her room and ushering her down the hallway, she couldn't ignore the feeling of dread telling her something must be wrong. The Elder Council had never demanded her presence before, let alone in the middle of the night.

The assembled men dwarfed the diminutive child, their cold eyes offering no hint of comfort, not that any was expected. The stoic council members were always intimidating, but Hinata had learned very early on that her Father, especially, was nothing like Oji-san. Despite everyone saying the two men were twins she had never seen any resemblance between them. To her they were night and day, cold and warm, cruel and kind. She scanned the gathered group for a glimpse of her Oji-san, someone who could calm her mounting anxiety. She nervously poked her fingertips together as she turned to face her father. The storm in his eyes was making Hinata wish she was anywhere but here.

Hiashi's fingers twitched as he looked down at the girl who was nearly shaking before him. _So worthless, eliminating her altogether would have been preferable._ But the Elders had refused to allow him to dispose of her, arguing that the opinion of key figures amongst the higher political circles would reflect poorly upon the Hyuga if it were to get around that the heiress had been deposed by her own family. Hiashi had settled for the next best option, one that would still allow him to erase her from his legacy. Her mother's "sacrifice" could be played off as the altruistic act of peace that the Hokage seemed to expect from the Clan Head himself.

Hiashi observed the girl whom Hitomi had called his daughter. The disgust that had been buried deep within him but never fully denied rose up into a specter of pure loathing. _I shall never acknowledge this pitiful thing as my child again_.

"As of today you are no longer to be a member of the Main House." Hiashi minced no words and did not waste his time on a lengthy preamble. He was tired, and this creature's further existence was of marginal importance to him at best. "Your mother has been sent to Kumo as recompense for the murder of the shinobi ambassador."

Hinata's face was blank. Her mind was blank. Her stomach seemed to have fallen to her feet. _Kaa-san is...gone?_ Words continued to come out of that man's mouth but all she could hear was her heartbeat escalating in her ears. _When is she coming back? Where's Kumo? I didn't get to say goodbye..._

"Do you understand what we are saying, child?" Hinata dazedly turned to the Elder she knew to be her grandfather. "Your mother is not returning. You will be sent to the Branch side of the compound. You are no longer the heiress of the Hyuga."

"Not returning..." Hinata's small whisper echoed the only part the statement she had heard. The rest was forgotten before it was ever processed as a wave of grief smashed into her heart. She clutched her chest, breaths coming in short gasps.

It was all Hiashi could do to keep from rolling his eyes at the pathetic display. Without warning he raised his hands to form the fateful sequence of seals and cried out the jutsu's name as one would proclaim the final judgment of a criminal. Hinata's high pitched screams grated on his ears. He pumped more chakra into the seal, wanting to end the irritating screeching.

Hinata never knew such a pain could even exist. One minute her heart was breaking and the next she knew her head surely was. Her last coherent thought was of her mother pressing a kiss to her forehead just hours ago as she tucked her into bed. Now Hinata's fingernails clawed at the same spot, desperately seeking to tear away the burning flesh before she was consumed, mind, body, and soul. The agony spread down her neck and sent pain shooting deep into her brain. She couldn't feel her hands, her heart was pounding, each breath was a struggle, sweat beaded across her brow, blood dripped from her nose, and then suddenly...merciful darkness.

* * *

Neji's brow furrowed as he watched Ko carry his cousin into the last bedroom of his home and lay her on the small futon. The former wet nurse Hiro-san, who served as a healer of sorts for the Branch side of the family, was already waiting with a bowl of cool water and clean linen. She had arrived when Hizashi was brought back from the council chambers and was in the middle of compounding a tea that would help to relieve the suffering of those whose seal had been activated, when Neji had interrupted her saying a guard was approaching with a child in his arms. Hiro-san's normally bubbly personality had been dampened throughout the entire visit, and with his announcement of the visitors, Neji had seen her visibly tense. She had pursed her lips into a thin line before turning to gather the bowl and fresh towels. He saw her pat the pocket of her apron and thought he heard the crinkle of paper before she proceeded to refill the bowl with water. The thought crossed his mind, _she knows something_.

When Hinata-sama had been revealed to be the limp body in Ko's arms, Neji mirrored Hiro-san's reaction. For the heiress to be incapacitated, in addition to his father, and with Hitomi-sama nowhere to be seen, it was all a blatant red flag. Something was definitely not right. Watching as Hiro-san wrung out the cloth and wiped the sweaty bangs on Hinata's brow, Neji was unable to contain a gasp at what he saw. _H-How? Why have they done this to her of all people?!_

The angry red welt of a freshly seared caged bird seal stood out against the pallor of her skin, an ugly mar on Hinata's cherubic features. Unabashed horror filled Neji's mind and he struggled to understand what could have possibly prompted the Clan Head to brand his only child.

A heavy hand rested on his shoulder and Neji turned to face the sad expression that covered Ko's features. "Hitomi-sama is gone. Hinata-san is no longer the heiress, she no longer has a mother, no longer has a place anywhere amongst the Main House. From this day forward, we are all she has, Neji." The guard looked the boy squarely in the eye, addressing him with all the levity of a comrade in arms. "She will need to be strong if she is to survive." Neji was not naive. He understood the words that were not spoken, and nodded solemnly. It was not simply her life that was immediately at risk, but her sanity and her soul. "I will be here for her," he promised, straightening his shoulders.

When Ko had retreated into the night once more, Neji approached the futon where his cousin lay, still as death. Her breathing was shallow and even, her lips were pale. He reached to remove the damp cloth and rinse it again in the cool water. A small whimper accompanied the return of the linen to her newly scarred forehead. "Don't worry Hinata-...san," Neji stumbled on the new honorific. "I will help you to become strong."

* * *

She dreamt that she was swept off her feet while happily wading in a sheltered tide pool. Waves had suddenly risen up against her and she was ripped away from shore. Her mother stood on the beach unmoving, seeming to ignore her cries for help and pleas for rescue. Instead the woman had watched her struggle with sad eyes as she faded into the distance. The pull of the tide was other worldly, no matter how hard she struggled, Hinata could not fight the brutal waves, and her screams were drowned in their crashing. She felt herself being lifted higher and higher in the roiling water. She crested the top of a massive tsunami and went plummeting over the edge, bashing head into the bottom of the ocean. As a heavy darkness closed in, all she could see were steely silver eyes full of hatred...

Hinata gasped and startled upright but abruptly collapsed back onto the futon clutching her head. It was just a dream, but the pain was excruciatingly real. Slowly sitting up she began to recall the events of last night, and desolation crushed her anew. _How can this be happening?_ Tears ran unchecked down her face, hands fell limply into her lap, shoulders bowed as if yielding to the weight of an unbearable burden. _I just wish I could die._

Hiro-san slipped in at that moment and was able to force a bit of tea past Hinata's listless lips before gently pushing her back down onto the futon and tucking her under the blankets. Hinata didn't fight the thick cloud of oblivion that settled heavily over her body and mind.

What must have been hours later, judging by the position of the sun through the cracks in the window shade, Hinata awoke again and blankly took in her surroundings. She saw a few of her own possessions nearby but recognized the space as the spare room in Oji-san's house. Her wandering gaze landed on a letter, neatly placed atop a small pile of folded kimonos by her head. The graceful strokes of the kanji were unmistakable. _Kaa-san!_

She nearly dropped it twice before managing to carefully open the precious letter. Tears swam in her eyes as she read her mother's final message.

_My Precious Daughter,_

_Time is short, I wish I was better with words._

_I love you with everything that I am. There is nothing that can remove my love from you. My love is stronger than the fiercest hate. And it is hate that has separated us in this life._

_I know you have a good heart, and will grow into a powerful woman. And there is something that I must tell you, because it is upon truth that you can build your dreams and shape your future._

_Hiashi is not your father. No man so cruel could ever create such a wonderful child as you. I refuse to leave you with the false belief that you owe him anything for your existence. Your father is the man who has treated you as such since the day of your birth, Hizashi._

_I wish I could say that I am ashamed of my sins, but I cannot. Neither should you ever, for one moment, feel anything but proud of where you come from, because you were born out of a love that surpassed fate. And this brings me to what I want to impress upon you more than anything, my daughter: never let Them control your destiny._

_You are more than Main or Branch, more than Hyuga, more than just a female for breeding. You are Hinata! Beautiful, loving, faithful, intelligent, and unbreakable. Do not let anyone decide your future, choose your own path. Choose life. Choose love. Choose happiness._

_I go now to what may seem to be a judgement handed to me by those who think they control my body and mind. But know this, they will have nothing from me that I won't willingly give. If what I suspect comes to fruition, my future will be happily met knowing that my removal will set you free from the same prison that has been my life up to this point. You will be released from the duties of heiress and all the machinations the council will have in store for you. Do not mourn the loss of that gilded cage._

_Believe in yourself as I believe in you. I will be with you always, my beloved daughter._

_~Kaa-san_

Hinata read the letter a second time, and a third. Her fourth time through she felt like she had absorbed all that her mother had written, even if some of it was a bit above her understanding. Tenderly pressing the page to her heart, she wished she could embrace her Kaa-san the way she held her words. Was she really the strong woman her mother thought her to be? Could she ever live up to such high praise? Slowly standing, Hinata crossed the room and contemplated her reflection in the small mirror hanging on the wall.

Her eyes were red and dry, it felt as if she had emptied all the tears from her body. Her face was the exact miniature of her mother's, dainty featured and alabaster hued. Hinata's hair was the same intriguing midnight blue tone which was unique to her mother and herself. It was her most striking feature by far. It grew absurdly long and thick down her back, a symbol of her pampered rank as heiress. The glossy strands were meticulously cared for, and were always allowed to hang loose, a testimony to the fact that she never had to tie it back and perform laborious chores like the maids of the Branch House did. It was a status symbol. A ball and chain.

Lavender darkened the pale hue of her eyes as determination set in and she boldly strode over to small bag that contained her embroidery. Pulling our a pair of scissors and brandishing them at her reflection, she whispered the conviction of her heart, "I shall be shackled no more." Silver eyes and silver scissors flashed as her hands went to work.

The door slid open and the cup of tea Hizashi carried dropped to the bedroom floor with a crash. Brown liquid soaked the ropes of hair that spread around Hinata's bare feet. She slowly turned to him and stood still, studying the shock on his face. She looked at him as she never had before, with a clarity born of truth. Hinata's hands reached out and she had hardly taken a step before strong arms embraced her in a bone crushing hug that said everything Hizashi couldn't put into words.

Before coming to check on the poor girl, he had discovered the good-bye letter that Hitomi had somehow smuggled into his nightstand before she was sacrificed like some simple shogi piece in Hiashi's political game. He had stuffed the paper into his shirt, her loss too fresh to bear the pain that her words would bring. With the afternoon approaching he had known it was time to wake Hinata. So with a heavy heart and a full cup of tea, he had braced himself try and offer whatever pitiful comfort he could to his grieving niece, who's world had been destroyed in the space of a night. Now as he held her in his arms he struggled to think of a way to make her understand that he would move heaven and earth to see her happy again. That he would lay down his life if it meant keeping her safe. "You don't have to live in fear any more child," Hizashi murmured to a sniffling Hinata. "I will protect you. You can stay here with Neji and I, you will never have to worry for anything."

Pulling back so he could see her beautiful lavender eyes, the ones just like her mother's, Hizashi sighed at the deep sadness he saw within them. "I know I am a poor substitute for the person you really wish to see, and this is not the life you saw for yourself, but hopefully it will be enough."

Hizashi cursed how inadequate he sounded, feeling that he was falling far short of healing Hinata's broken heart. He ruefully wished he could somehow find the perfect words explain to her just how much she truly meant to him. He had to be strong for her, she needed a new foundation, and he would lay it brick by brick himself. He had to hold himself together so he could hold her up. But as the immeasurably precious child hugged his neck and sobbed quietly into his shoulder, she uttered the words that shattered the last of his defenses.

"It's enough, Otou-san, because I see you."

* * *

A week later a message was delivered to the Hokage from Kumo. The Raikage was fuming because the "Hyuga woman" had died suddenly, shortly after reaching the city, but before he could have her properly examined. The nature of her death was highly suspected to be a suicide by poisoning. He demanded to reopen negotiations for another exchange.

The Hokage snorted in derision. Like hell he would.

Hiruzen saw how Hitomi's timing was ingenious, and the admiration he already felt for the woman's bravery increased exponentially. She had ensured that the terms of the agreement were technically fulfilled; an unsealed Hyuga had been delivered to Kumo. Yet she still managed to protect the genetic legacy of the Byakugan, and by default her own person, from the breeding program he was sure The Raikage would have prepared. Any further attempts to scheme the Byakugan out of Konoha could easily be presented as a break of the previously signed negotiations, and thus justify involving the Daimyos to levy sanctions upon the Hidden Cloud.

When Hiruzen had first approached the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to seek support in refusing the threats of Kumo, he had been denied. The Daimyo believed this to be a Shinobi issue, to be solved by Shinobi. It would only benefit himself to interfere if a breach of contract could be proven, therefore allowing him to open a path of financial exploitation of the Land of Lightning via political and legal channels. Additionally, the fact that the Kumo ninja that had been killed was also an ambassador of the Land of Lightning, meant that his death could not simply be swept under the rug. It practically required an apology. "Besides," the Daimyo had lazily concluded, "It is just one Hyuga. Surely not worth such a fuss?"

On his way out of the Daimyo's expansive mansion grounds, Hiruzen had _accidentally_ sent one of those goddamned topiaries up in flames while "lighting his pipe".

 _Just one Hyuga_ , the old man had fumed internally. Just one life. Just one more child without a parent. Just one more innocent person lost. Hiruzen had been furious at Hiashi's decision to offer up his wife like a lamb for the slaughter, but ultimately the old man's hands were tied as he was prohibited from interfering in the clan's inner workings.

Hiruzen sighed and turned to look out the window of his office which revealed a panoramic view of his beloved home. Casting his gaze across the rooftops of Konoha, he clenched his teeth when his eyes came to rest on the cluster of dwellings that made up the Hyuga compound. That clan was a growing source of worry for the old Shinobi. The chasm of inequality between its two branches was widening and hatred was brewing within its walls. The catastrophe of the Uchiha Massacre had resulted in the near genocide of an entire family, as well as the loss of one of the most promising Shinobi ever to grace The Hidden Leaf. It felt as though their blood had barely soaked into the earth, and Hiruzen would be damned if he'd allow such a tragedy to repeat itself!

He wasn't sure if he could ever forgive Danzo for his meddling in the terrible affair. The already strained relations between the two lifelong rivals had progressed into a thinly veiled animosity ever since. There were times when the "Shinobi of the Shadows", as he liked to call himself, was more of an enemy of the Will of Fire than the silent protector he fancied himself to be. Such duality could not be permitted. Danzo was supposed to be the Roots that grounded the village, with Hiruzen as Hokage, being the Tree that supported the Leaves. And Sarutobi Hiruzen had sworn to protect the future of those Leaves with his dying breath if need be. He fervently believed, with every fiber of his being, that it was within the children of the village that the Will of Fire would burn brightest.

Turning back to his desk, half buried in the ever present shifting piles of papers, Hiruzen glared at the official seal on the Kumo scroll. Another life? Over my dead body, he thought. Placing his pipe into the corner of his mouth, the Hokage reached for a brush and dipped it carefully into an inkwell. Puffing heavily on the sweet tobacco, he summoned all of his years of political eloquence to formally tell the the Raikage, to go fuck himself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

CHAPTER 5

The mud was slippery, and she had to really focus on each footstep to keep from falling and ruining all the laundry in her arms. Repeating the exhausting process was not an appealing thought when her small hands were already raw from the scrubbing and handling of the harsh soap, but she never complained. She never talked much at all these days.

Balancing the heavy basket of damp linens on a rock, Hinata paused to watch the steam dance through the chilly air as it rose from the freshly washed white robes. The moisture twisted hypnotically, seeming to taunt her as it easily caught the breeze and flew away over the walls of the yard. _Free_.

Hinata sighed and bent to grab the top piece of clothing. So pathetic, I'm even envious of the laundry now. _Get a grip Hinata. You have to be strong like Kaa-san. She wouldn't want you to crack so quickly._

The days since she had learned the truth of Kaa-san's departure and death seemed to blur together. Her mind struggled every morning to remember where she was and why she wasn't in her own bed. But every morning she had been greeted by the warm face of her Tou-san. He would kiss her hair and tell her how proud he was of her, how happy he was that she was here. Every morning she struggled with feelings of guilt over the joy she felt by being near him, because this wouldn't be happening if her mother were still alive. Hinata had so many tumultuous emotions running through her mind, she could hardly breathe at times for the weight of it all. It felt like she was drowning, pulled under by a boulder chained to her heart. It was so easy sometimes, to simply allow herself to sink, shutting down all of her emotions for fear of the tsunami of tears that might sweep her away. So she did what Hyuga did best, she ignored her feelings and wore a mask.

Part of her mask meant, of course, that Hinata continued to address Hizashi as Oji-san in public. If there was one thing that living amongst the Hyuga had taught her, it was that keeping a secret safe was keeping your head on your shoulders. Even Neji-niisan was unaware of her newest treasured piece of knowledge. She trusted her Niisan with her life, but he thrived within the rules and traditions of the Hyuga. He had found notoriety among the Branch and even the Main side of the family as an upstart prodigy of sorts, and she hesitated to do anything to ruin that for him. Neji-niisan worshipped his father, and strove to garner his approval above all others, even over the Elders or Hiashi himself. Tarnishing his view of his father, his hero, for nothing but her own fulfillment, would be cruel and pointless. Hizashi openly showered his son with praise, all of it undeniably deserved. While she felt sure that Neji-niisan could eventually forgive his father for such an affair, her fragile heart feared potentially becoming an object of scorn in Neji's view, as a physical reminder of his father's transgression. She did not have the strength to take the risk, she was already too broken. So she locked this all away. One more weight she carried.

Shaking out another robe Hinata climbed a small wooden stool to hang the wet clothing on the line to dry in the weak sunlight. Spring had started its struggle to breakthrough the blanket of winter. The snow had melted and mud reined supreme as man's newest tormentor. She carefully secured the robe with the pins from her pocket, ensuring the wind wouldn't drag all her hard work away.

From her slightly elevated position on the step stool, Hinata could see the latticed fence of her mother's dormant herb garden across the way. Her mother had frequently taken the young girl with her to tend her precious plants. Patiently explaining the purpose and care of each one as they worked their way row by row, pulling weeds and removing greedy caterpillars. Often as a young girl Hinata would fall asleep in the warm sunshine to the sound of Hitomi's soothing voice as she switched between her narration and her favorite melodies. Even now, if she closed her eyes, she could hear her humming a lullaby, smell the grass and earth, feel the cool breeze tickle the hairs across her unblemished forehead. Bliss. Ignorant, beautiful, naive, bliss.

Hinata was lost in her own memories, nearly forgetting about Hiro-san, who had carried out another larger basket of freshly washed sheets. The dear woman had been keeping Hinata close by her side in the days following her abrupt inauguration into the Branch side of life. Always making sure she was eating, had a task to distract her, and a tin of salve to soothe her cracked hands. Her presence gave Hinata a kind of comfort reminiscent of a cozy blanket on a rainy day. Hiro-san couldn't stop the storm, but she could make you feel tucked in and safe, at least momentarily. Whenever the turmoil of her thoughts started to sweep her away, Hinata had been able to turn to the doting woman knowing she would always have a quick smile and a diversion to help ease her mind. The troubled girl found the woman's warm presence to be quite calming, that was until the her shrill screech pierced the air.

"KAMI SAVE US!" All the birds in a five mile radius fled with the ear-splitting shriek.

Abruptly startling out of her daze, Hinata completely lost her balance, her body toppling one way and her stool another. Unwilling to grab onto the clean hanging laundry and risk dirtying it to save herself, she braced for the wet impact of the cold mud. But it never came. Instead warm arms wrapped around her from behind, her head gently thumping against a hollow chest.

"Gotcha! That was close!" the loud familiar voice rang in her ear. "Whatcha doin' Hinata? Are you busy? You wanna come play with me for a bit? I found these two sticks that are perfect for fishing, so I thought maybe we could go down to the river? Have you ever fished before? It doesn't matter if you haven't, I can teach you...hey, Hinata?" The string of rapid babbling ceased as Naruto got a good look at the featherlight girl in his arms who was rapidly turning red as a tomato. He squinted at her closely and placed a warm hand on her forehead.

"You're really red again Hinata. Are you sure you're not sick or something? What was it that guy called it? Shy? Are sick with The Shy, Hinata?" The blond poked her cheek with a single finger the way one would jab an interesting toad. "Does The Shy make you not breathe too? How come you're not breathing? Hinaataaaaa!"

The innocent contact to her face had Hinata squeaking and jumping out of the blond's arms, panting and burying her blazing cheeks in her apron. Unwilling to abandon his ill friend Naruto leaned forward and continued to scrutinize her with a scrunched up face that made it seem as though thinking hard was slightly painful for him. As oxygen slowly returned to her brain Hinata couldn't help but start to giggle at his constipated expression.

"She is not sick with The Shy, foolish child. Being shy means that she is nervous and blushes easily," huffed Hiro as she emerged from behind the sheet she had nearly ripped from the line when the boy scared the bajeesus out her by dropping out of nowhere onto the rock where her basket sat. The Hyuga woman dramatically placed a hand over her pounding heart and fanned her own flushed face with the other. How the boy had gotten into the compound at all was beyond her. More amazingly still, was the agility with which he had caught Hinata-chan before she fell. Hiro had only seen Shinobi move with such speed! She was prepared to upbraid the rascal when she paused, seeing Hinata's expression. _She's smiling?_ The child was actually laughing. _I have't seen her do that since that day._

Hiro now gave her full attention to the curious blond, who was grinning goofily and rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish way that was quite endearing. He was not a large child, rather skinny she thought. His clothes were worn and his whole person could definitely use a good scrubbing. He obviously did not come from any clan, although wasn't the red swirl on his orange jacket the same as the one the Shinobi wore? Around his neck was a pristine red scarf that looked quite familiar. How could this boy sneak around anywhere is such bold colors? Even his hair was the brightest shade of blond she had ever seen. The child's face was by far his best feature. Hiro had never seen such blue eyes before, and his grin was open and friendly. _Those marks on his cheeks though. Wait, oh, I see..._

Being a servant meant having access to lots of gossip. Hiro had heard of the "Kyuubi Brat" frequently on her trips to the market, where public opinion of the boy was poor at best. She had seen the results of a few of the pranks he had concocted to torment some of the villagers. Personally, she rather thought most of them deserved it. The one particular merchant who had been irate to open his store one morning and find what appeared to be every stray cat from the entire village, strung out on catnip and gorging themselves on a massive puddle of spilled milk, was known as quite the cantankerous grump. Hiro knew for a fact that the man would unfairly doctor his produce scales. His shop had smelled of cat piss for weeks. She rather thought the old coot had needed to be taught a lesson.

While Hiro had been scrutinizing him, Naruto was contemplating this new concept of shyness. "Huh," he mused as he scratched his cheek with a dirty fingernail. "I don't really get it. But no worries Hinata! You don't need to feel shy with me, we're friends, dattebayo!" He punctuated his statement with a thumbs up and a flashing smile.

"You could help by not giving both of us a heart attack! Honestly! How on earth did you even get in here?" Hiro planted her hands in her hips and fixed the rascal with matronly glare.

"Um, I'm...super sneaky?" Naruto had hunched his shoulders at first, anticipating harsh reprimands and punishments like those of the sitters at the orphanage. But one of the emotions Naruto was easily able to recognize was hate, and there was none in this woman's gentle scolding. He flashed her an unconsciously adorable grin, complete with puppy dog eyes. "Sorry lady, I promise not to scare you next time." Hiro couldn't help but chuckle at the blond's attempt at innocence, not missing the fact that he had not exactly promised not to sneak in again, only to do so with less racket.

"Actually Naruto-kun," Hinata softly spoke for the first time, gesturing to the basket of wet laundry. "I c-can't play right n-now, I n-need to finish up these ch-chores."

"Oh, you mean those fancy clan duties Neji is always going on about?" Naruto did not miss the way Hinata had flinched with his question, like he had hurt her somehow. Concern for his friend filled him and he paused his energetic fidgeting to really see her. She was different. Her hair was short, her forehead bandaged, and even the fading pink blush that dusted her cheeks could not hide the dark circles under her pale eyes. _Her eyes, they're, so sad. She looks hurt, and... lonely?_

Naruto might not be the most observant when it came to understanding others and their feelings, Kami knew he had no clue what went through the minds of the villagers on a day to day basis. Yet Hinata was unique. Her eyes always seemed to communicate clearly what she struggled to say out loud.

He instinctively knew this was something that couldn't be explained by asking a thousand questions. She needed a listening ear, not a bunch of hollow words. Reaching up, he gently touched small fingertips to the girl's wrapped forehead, causing her to blink in surprise, but for some reason not pull away. Hinata felt her throat begin to close with emotion as she read the expression of concern and compassion on Naruto's face. He understands. She could feel it in his touch, see it in the deep blue eyes that mirrored her own pain but still had that shine of life that she felt had been dulled within herself. "I'm sorry you're hurting Hinata," he whispered, "I see you. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm your friend no matter what, OK?"

It started with hiccups, and before Hinata could find the strength to once again squash the crippling flood of emotions, the dam had broken and the tears poured out. Naruto didn't hesitate to offer what he had always wished someone had given him, and he held the sobbing girl as she fell apart on his shoulder.

Hiro had slipped behind a large sheet that hung across the yard, briskly brushing tears from her own cheeks with her apron. She had been trying for days to get the girl to crack, worried that the flat mask she presented was simply a lid on pot of building pressure, ticking down to an explosion. The supposedly "evil demon" child had managed to thaw Hinata's rapidly hardening heart with just a few simple words, helping her take that first step towards healing, and potentially saving her soul from walking life's path twisted by bitterness. Squaring her shoulders and smoothing down her simple working kimono, Hiro headed off to the kitchens with a small smile on her face. If there was one thing she knew for certain, it was that pastries and tea were excellent after a good cry. And that boy could certainly use some more meat on his bones.

Alone in the yard, the story of all the events came tumbling out in broken pieces as the two sat side by side on the rock next to the forgotten basket of laundry. From Hiashi sealing her, to her mother's death, and even her discovery of her true father. Hinata couldn't hold it in any longer, and Naruto was the only person who could listen, unbiased, to all her fears and secrets. He never once interrupted her, something most adults thought was physically impossible for the boy. His own mind reeled with trying to process all the intense emotions Hinata was expressing while simultaneously suppressing his rising fury at what that stupid Clan Head had done to his best friend. As she ran out of words, Hinata lapsed into tired choking sighs and scrubbed her face with her apron. Naruto's righteous indignation could hardly take it anymore and he placed a firm hand on Hinata's shoulder.

"Forget those stupid Main House bastards!" He declared while jabbing a thumb into his own chest. "Come live with me at the orphanage! I'll take care of you. I'll always protect my friends, dattebayo! You can even sleep in the bunk right next to mine—" Naruto stopped mid sentence when Hinata let out a loud "EEP!" and turned so red he thought steam might come out of her ears. Confusion filled him again as he squinted closely at the overheated girl. Poking her arm experimentally he said, "Uh, Hinata, are you having a Shy Attack or whatever again? Was it something I said? How long are you gonna not breathe this time?"

The stupefied look of complete befuddlement on the blond's scrunched up face made the overdone girl's mouth start to twitch. Her shoulders began to shake, unladylike snorting soon followed and before Naruto could decipher what faux pas he committed this time, Hinata had dissolved into delirious guffaws. The boy scratched the back of his head at the abrupt swing of her emotions and hesitantly chuckled a bit. _Sheesh, girls are weird sometimes._

The duo's ensuing giggle fit was interrupted by Hiro's return, bringing with her a basket of treats with a bamboo container of tea, and Neji, who had just returned from the academy for the day. He looked surprised to see Naruto perched by his cousin's side, and equally if not more amazed to see his cousin genuinely happy for the first time since her banishment.

"Naruto-san," the older boy sternly addressed the uninvited guest. "How did you get past the guards patrolling the walls?" A foxy grin was the only response the mischievous blond gave, and Neji just sighed. "On second thought, I don't want to know."

The three children made short work of the food, Neji constantly telling Naruto to chew with his mouth closed as the younger boy peppered him with questions about the academy. Gulping down the last dregs of his tea, Naruto wiped a sleeve across his mouth before Hinata could pass him a napkin, while Neji wrinkled his nose in disgust at the lack of manners.

Totally ignoring the judgy boy's glare, Naruto pumped a fist onto the air. "Man I can't wait to go to The Academy! I'll be one step closer to becoming Hokage and showing everyone how awesome I am!" Naruto turned to Hinata with excitement dancing in his eyes like fire. "You're coming too, aren't you? We're gonna kick ass, and show 'em all not to underestimate us, dattebayo!"

Hinata blinked as the idea dawned on her. As the daughter of the Clan Head, she had been trained to be little more than a pretty showpiece. An attractive and well bred prize to lure elite suitors and lock down advantageous political alliances. Being a Shinobi was out of the question. But now that she was free of that pampered and protected life, the ninja world gleamed with new possibilities, and freedom.

Hinata thought about the message her mother had left her, encouraging her to choose her own fate. Kaa-san had called her unbreakable. Urged her to leave her gilded cage behind. What could characterize this more than the life of a Shinobi? Raising her gaze from the empty teacup in her hands, she met Naruto's sparkling eyes. She saw the unwavering faith in them that told her he absolutely believed she could do it. Certainty filled her. _I can do this. I am not alone._

Neji had been watching his cousin's reaction to Naruto's loud statement, knowing that a life as a ninja went against everything she had ever been taught. The determination that filled her eyes as she clenched her tiny hands was a most welcome change from the hollow shell she had recently become. Turning shining lavender eyes to her cousin, Hinata addressed him with the resolute poise of a true Hyuga, "Neji-niisan, I wish to learn how to use The Byakugan."

The prodigy of Hyuga Clan did not hesitate at her request, he did not question her ability, courage, or potential. He smirked.

"I thought you'd never ask." 

* * *

"The ceremony is tomorrow, I hear."

Hizashi snapped back to the present, deactivating his bloodline as he turned to the man who sharpening and polishing a kunai at the worktable. The father had noticed Hinata heading out with Hiro-san to the far side of the compound with the laundry, and had covertly used his Byakugan to see how she was holding up. The already quiet girl had been worryingly silent recently. While this meant she never complained about her new workload, it also meant that she had not expressed anything closely reminiscent of joy since the day her mother had walked out of the compound for the last time. Hizashi was no stranger to grief himself, and knew how quickly it could crush you from within.

But just now, he had seen her face shining once more as she talked with Naruto and Neji. Hizashi sighed with relief as he relaxed the veins on his temples. He had never been much for lofty sermons of comfort, always allowing his actions to speak louder than words. Though he knew that Hinata drew as much comfort from his presence as he did from her own, he was not so naive as to think that the sudden revelation of their relationship would erase all the child's heartache by itself. She would need a whole new circle of support to keep her from falling down the slippery slope of animosity that seemed to be contagious amongst some of the more bitter Branch members. The indescribably optimistic Naruto, the reliable to a fault Neji, and the doting tenderness of Hiro, were all an answer to Hizashi's prayers.

Snapping open the weapon inventory scroll that was hanging loosely in his hand, he refocused on Ko-san and his statement. Hizashi's face darkened as he mentally replayed the man's last words in his head.

"Hn."

The Hyuga guard nodded sagely in agreement with the cynical emotion expressed in the single syllable. Discarding the now sharpened weapon and picking up another, Ko-san continued to grumble, "I still cannot believe the council allowed him to remarry so quickly. Disgraceful lack of mourning, if you ask me."

"Have you seen the girl?" a new voice interrupted the two men, as another Branch guard entered the weapons storage room carrying a large wooden box that he thumped onto the table with a grunt. Hizashi nodded a greeting at the new arrival and silently went to examine the repaired equipment delivered from the blacksmith. "She has the look of a cat who got the cream," the man continued. "My wife is a maid for her family. She told me that the little snob, I think Ane-san is her name, has been stringing Hiashi along for months with all kinds of promises of heirs and shit if he would just marry her and make her part of the Main house." The man snorted as he leaned an elbow on the box and shook his head. "Stupid girl is playing a dangerous game. Falling short of The Head's expectations could cost her her own pretty head."

Making an effort to ignore the ache in his chest, Hizashi pretended to dismiss the gossip, but knew it was quite factual. Of all of his flings, Hiashi had been singularly bewitched by the charismatic young Ane-san, a yet unbranded daughter of an Elder looking to rise in the ranks. Hitomi had equally despised and pitied the ambitious flirt, but ultimately had realized that there was little she could do to turn her husband's head, short of producing another heir for him. And that was about as likely as snow in summer. The fact that the Clan Head had actually followed through on the demands made by his highly desired paramour was astonishing to those that knew him. He must be desperate indeed.

Ko-san examined the sharpened edge of the blade in his hand, scrutinizing it for any cracks or flaws. "Might be a good thing in the short term. It's keeping attention off the little one." Carefully placing the pristine piece of metal into its designated pile, he turned to Hizashi. "How has she been handling everything, by the way?" Both Hyuga guards faced Hizashi, their brows furrowed in concern for the fallen heiress.

His eyes drifted back out the window to where, without his Byakugan, all he could see were the distant lines of laundry slowly stirring in the breeze. The memory of his daughter's face that first morning, as she brandished the scissors in her hand while turning to meet his gaze, mouth set in determination, eyes steady and sure, hair shockingly short and uneven, rose up in his mind's eye. Hizashi smiled, nearly smirked, before proudly answering the men.

"She is her mother's daughter."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

CHAPTER 6

Some would say, that Ane was smiled upon by Kami. She was born into a decently high ranking family, had constantly been told she was pretty, and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Yes, some would say that she was quite lucky indeed.

Ane would say that some people are damn fools. The only way to make a niche for yourself in this life was to carve it out yourself with your own two hands. And if you happened to find a knife along the way to ease your struggle, then what idiot wouldn't grasp the thing by the handle and start hacking away? There were two existences within the Hyuga. Main and Branch. Freedom and Slavery. Royalty and Peasant. To find a bridge across the divide from one domain to the other was a rare thing, but Ane was sharp. She was not just another pretty face with decent breeding. Life was a race, and when she saw a shortcut, she tore after the opportunity with a single minded determination.

As the daughter of a council Elder, Ane had managed to escape being sealed for longer than most. The Main house was quite the male dominated place, and women often died in childbirth, even with the best of Hyuga medicine at their disposal. So ever since the beginning of the clan it had been the practice to allow girls to remain unsealed until at least puberty, when betrothals were secured, determining their fate as either Branch or Main house for the rest of their life. Ane's father was a rather conniving bastard, if she did say so herself, and had managed to keep her unmarked at the generous age of sixteen.

It had been during an afternoon tea ceremony with the Clan Head's wife and several other women of rank that she had first heard the gossip of Hiashi's displeasure with the Clan Matron and his subsequent tendency to dally outside of his marriage bed. Ane had kept her head down, her ears open, and her mind spinning. It was so stupidly simple, all she had to do was play the game.

She waited with patience, and several months later, on a carefully chosen afternoon ripe with opportunity, Ane went for a stroll around the koi pond near the Main House quarters. The bindings she had been using to minimize her bust so as to downplay her age had been "forgotten", her rich dark brown hair let free down her back, her obi tied _just so_ , to accentuate her wide hips which were begging to bear sons. When she had "coincidentally" encountered Hiashi-sama on his own walk through the adjoining gardens, instead of demurely bowing her head, she had smiled at him coyly with her painted lips, and reached to offer him some food for the colorful fish.

Honestly, so simple.

The tricky part was keeping her prey locked within her trap and not allowing him to escape after sampling the treat that had lured him in. Here is where her brains, which women were not supposed to have, served Ane well with securing her prize.

Several heated "encounters" over the next few weeks easily convinced the man that he would not sleep in peace ever again until he had possessed her body and soul. Ane laced their passionate moments with whispered promises of undying devotion and hero worship. She praised his physical prowess, astute skills, and brilliant mind. Assuring him with heated kisses that no true wife would ever give such a man anything other than strong boys to proclaim his virtue and legacy.

Perhaps not the most exciting pillow talk ever, but again, she was not stupid. Ane had done her homework, she knew where his weaknesses were. Which lead to the linchpin of her whole design. Her virginity.

Hiashi-sama could have her, when Ane had her fate. Until he set aside the useless Hitomi and her forgettable daughter, installing Ane herself as Honorable Wife and therefore ensuring that she and any of her children would have a chance at a position within the Main House, Ane would not yield the one thing that kept her from truly belonging to him.

Hook. Line. Sinker.

Perhaps she should thank her father a little. There was no way that political ambassador from Kumo would have been able to sneak into the Hyuga compound alone, and single-handedly abduct the only child of the Clan Head by no other means than simply knocking out the guards at the gate. The way Hizashi-san had interrupted the plan had actually played out quite well for her when all the dust settled in the end. Even the wedding ceremony itself was a complete success, Ane had never felt such satisfaction as when she surveyed the looks of jealously upon her friend's faces as she paraded through the garden and up the steps of the Main House side of the compound to her new quarters. It was one hell of a way to start her seventeenth year on earth. In the heady moment, she had nearly forgotten about Hiashi-sama.

What she had not forgotten, were the ways of the birds and the bees. She may not have a broad education in financial investments, she may not have a vast knowledge of history and politics, she may not be well versed in the latest scientific theories. But Ane-san, knew people. She knew how to observe them and read their behavior. How to approach just the right person, and put them at ease, get them to open up, and draw out their secrets. Ane never forgot a secret. She never underestimated how far a person would go to protect their secrets. And she never hesitated to push her advantage.

Her whole life was built like a delicately balanced house of cards, carefully fit together and held by hidden truths. One well placed piece of knowledge could cement her architectural dreams, or a single careless slip of the hand could cause the whole deck to collapse, bringing her down in chaos. Ane had become aware of just such a threat, one that was staring everyone in the face but was refused acknowledgment. The Clan Head was suspiciously lacking any decent progeny.

Ane had given it a month or two before she realized that for all his vigor, Hiashi-sama was sorely lacking in virility. It didn't take a genius to suppose that Hinata was not his natural child, she bore zero resemblance to the man, physical or behavioral. And Ane knew of at least three different Branch maids by name who had regularly kept Hiashi-sama's bed during his previous marriage, all of whom would have loved to claim a bastard child as a means to elevate their status, or at least improve their living conditions. And yet there remained little evidence to support his capacity to procreate.

The truth was staring her in the face, and she would be foolish to deny it. Seeing a weak spot in her carefully constructed house of cards, she quickly formed a plan. A few surreptitious visits to that sot of a Branch chunin who had always held a candle for her (pitiful lush that he was), and her paper mansion of aspirations was looking more like a stone castle of certainties.

The flawless execution of her role as the new Honorable Wife left her nearly waltzing around the Koi pond with self satisfaction as Ane enjoyed her daily exercise and air. In the far back of the outdoor area she spied a small head of dark midnight blue hair, bent over and pulling weeds from a nearby flower bed that was bursting with blossoms in the bright spring sunshine. The woman couldn't resist the smirk that pulled up her red lips.

She sauntered over to the girl, who ignored her crunching footsteps until her shadow was cast across small, filthy hands. Ane studied the dirt smudged face that turned up to look at her. The girl's skin had lost the pristine pallor of elite rank, the bandages around her forehead look scratchy, and what on earth had she done to her hair? Her eyes though, Ane saw those eyes. The girl had gotten good with her mask, but her eyes still betrayed her emotions.

Ane ran a hand over her lower abdomen is a very suggestive way. "Girl, I seem to have forgotten my umbrella back in my quarters. Do be a dear and fetch it for me. The sun is hotter than I anticipated, and it would not be good for a woman in my _condition_ to overheat, would it?"

Hinata's eyes flicked down at Ane's hand that was laid across her stomach, and then shifted her gaze towards the house where painful memories of her mother walked the halls like a ghost. Sorrow flashed through her silver gaze, but was quickly smothered. The girl stood and wiped her hands on her apron before dipping a quick bow and silently heading off.

Her hand reached out and snatched Hinata's thin arm before she could brush past her. Ane stood with all the authority of her new rank, looking down her nose with an air of superiority meant to force those lavender tinted eyes to meet her own.

"You will address me properly, _girl_."

Well, if looks could kill, Ane might actually be scared.

"Hai, Ane-sama," Hinata ground out through clenched teeth. The Honorable Wife watched from the edge of the ornamental garden as the demoted heiress practically stomped back to house. After all that Ane had gone through to earn her place, it would not do to allow others to forget their own, now would it?

* * *

"Hyah! Hyah! HYAH!"

Naruto swung down to the lowest limb of a tree that was on the edge of a clearing that he, Hinata, and Neji had taken to using as a training ground of sorts. He hesitated before dropping from the branch, hanging by one arm and one leg, studying his best friend as she attacked the training post with a flurry of vicious palm strikes that had splinters shooting off in wild directions.

_Holy hell, Hinata is piiiiiiiissed_. It was probably an understatement. She had obviously been here for a while, the bandages on her forehead were soaked with sweat. Dust covered the bottom of the pants she had recently started wearing instead of the long, hindering kimonos. The ground was littered with grooves and footprints from where she had been practicing the basic katas Neji had taught them. Landing lightly and approaching the panting girl, Naruto's chest tightened with concern when he noticed her knuckles were cracked and blood was starting to stain the abused log. _Something bad must've happened_.

Without thinking Naruto leapt in front of her flying punches and grabbed her by the wrists before she could knock his block off. Hinata was startled but quickly scowled and tried to rip herself free of his tight grasp.

"Let me go Naruto-kun! I'm t-training!" she growled.

"You're hurt!"

"I'm f-fine! Leave me alone! I have to-"

"Hinata your hands are bleeding!" Naruto shook her tiny arms a bit, and held one of her hands up in front of her own eyes to prove his point.

"I don't c-care!"

"I _do_." The whiskered boy was up in her face now, his mouth set in a frown but his eyes were soft. When she didn't answer him immediately, he lifted one brow as if to ask if she was ready to give in now.

Her lip began to tremble but her eyes were still glaring at him. Naruto sighed, but refused to relent and gently pulled her over to sit under the shade of the broad tree nearby. Hinata resisted at first but knew the blond was more stubborn than a rock when it came to this kind of thing and finally trudged after him. He plunked down on the grass and pulled her to sit by him as well, telling her with a look that she better not move. Hinata pouted but obeyed, and huffed her bangs out of her eyes as she laid her hands open, palms upward, on her knees.

Naruto's mouth quirked up on the side at her sulky submission as he rummaged some bandages and the healing ointment she had made out of his make shift ninja pouch. He gently took her tiny hands in his own and slowly began to administer the herbal remedy before wrapping her knuckles and hands the way he had observed some of the shinobi do when he spied on their training exercises.

"Talk to me Hime."

Hinata turned her head away so he wouldn't see her blush at the nickname. After learning that she was the clan heiress Naruto had been super excited that his best friend was a real live princess. Hinata had tried to explain to him that it wasn't the same thing, and that she wasn't even part of the Main House anymore let alone the next in line for Clan Head. The boy had shook his head so hard she thought his brains would rattle loose, refusing her denials because the name just fit, no matter what her actual position in the clan. He had called her that ever since, much to Hinata's secret pleasure. But lately, she had not felt very royal, or demure. Certain _people_ had a way of ruining everything.

"I saw Ane-sama t-today," Hinata mumbled, pretending to study the bark on the tree. Naruto snorted, "And what does the Honorable Bitch want? She need you to follow her around with a fan so she doesn't sweat all that face paint off in those humongous kimonos?"

The insult worked its intent as Hinata giggled but gently flicked Naruto in the forehead for his language. She had been trying to break the boy of his foul mouth. But it was hard to be angry at that cheeky grin he shot her before refocusing on wrapping her hands.

Wild blond hair tousled as the wind kicked up a bit and Hinata allowed her body to relax. Naruto's gentle ministrations soothed her frayed nerves and his very presence itself seemed to always steady her when she felt like everything was falling apart. Even her stutter had all but disappeared, only popping up when her emotions were especially out of control. The more time they spent together, the more she realized just how much she had needed this friend and how important this connection was for her sanity and her soul. He kept her believing that it was possible to be happy and find joy despite one's circumstances.

If anyone could understand what it meant to be discarded, it was the scrawny village outcast sitting across from her right now. Hinata had heard more town gossip now that she was a part of the Branch House and tasked with their daily errands to the market. She had no idea why in the world Naruto was treated with such disdain by the village at large, and even most of the Hyuga as well. All she knew was that they were dead wrong about her best friend. Nobody could listen to her and understand her the way he did. Neji-niisan, and Otou-san, and Hiro-san were all pillars of strength for her, but only Naruto-kun seemed to _understand_. He was the only one she could tell anything to; the truth of her mother and father, her demotion, her hopes and fears. They trusted each other on deeper level than would seem possible for two children who had forged a bond so quickly. And everything really did seem to be happening so quickly as of late, how could the world keep moving on so easily?

"She's going to have a b-baby," Hinata whispered. Naruto's hands paused briefly, before he shrugged and deftly tied off the wrap of her left hand, slicing off the tail of the bandage with his kunai and moving to repeat the same motions on her right.

"So what? Maybe she'll leave you alone finally." When he didn't get any response, Naruto leaned forward a bit to catch her eyes from where they stared blankly into her lap. Her eyes were like an open book, he could always see what she wasn't saying. Lavender tinted orbs looked up at him, blinking away tears that were trying to fall. But while there was anger and sadness in their depths, he could see that these feelings were not the true cause of her outburst. There was another emotion, barely restrained under the presented false front, one that was all too familiar to the frequently abused boy.

"Hey, you can't keep blaming yourself. None of this is your fault, those people are just assholes," his face was serious and his hands squeezed hers to emphasize his point. "They only win if you let them. Just keep training, and become the best shinobi they've ever seen and show 'em all how stupid they are, believe it!"

"How can you s-say that so easily?" Hinata snapped. She had never raised her voice at Naruto, but everything lately was just so _hard_ , and she was tired.

Dealing with all the complicated facets of her ever shifting roles made her feel like one those circus performers who would spin ten plates simultaneously while standing on a ball; everything delicately teetering on thin poles lest it all collapse. She was a servant, a child, a failure as a Hyuga, a wannabe ninja, an emotionally broken human, and a demoted heiress. She was exhausted with always trying to maintain her balance, but never entirely keeping everything from wobbling wildly. No matter what she did nothing got better. She was constantly spinning and spinning, faster and faster, for fear that all the plates would come crashing down around her.

"We've been t-training out here day after day and I still haven't even activated my Byakugan!" Hinata squeezed her eyes tightly, trying to keep her control for once in her stupid life, but the need to vent her frustrations was overwhelming. "What if they are right? What if am useless? I'll n-never be able to escape this place unless I can prove that I'm worthy to be a kunoichi. And I can't stay here, I c-can't..." The tears she had been fighting so hard started to trickle down her face and sobs punctuated her words "I c-can't even s-stop c-crying, I'm s-so weak—" two warm hands cupped her face and rough fingers thumbed away the wet tracks on her dusty cheeks.

Hinata managed to stifle her hiccups down to sniffles as Naruto scowled at her without heat. "Silly girl, always doubting yourself. You're the strongest person I've ever met, y'know? Even without that Byakugan you've already pushed yourself to do more than you ever thought you could, right? You _will_ be a kunoichi, because you never give up! It's our nindo, remember?"

Hinata stared into blue eyes that twinkled with confidence and determination. She envied his faith in himself, in her, in the ability of others to change. It was just so hard to leave the self-doubt and hurt behind.

"But I should have been a b-better heiress," Hinata argued halfheartedly, "then maybe he wouldn't have hated Kaa-san so much, and she c-could have s-stayed..."

"Shoulda, woulda, coulda, blah, blah, blah," Naruto dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand before settling to finish his work with her bandages. "From what you have told me, the only way they would have accepted you was if you had completely changed yourself into some stuck up prissy lady. And that would suck big time because," he snugly tied off her right hand with a flourish to drive his words home, "I like you just the way you are, because you are already super awesome!"

Once again Hinata ducked her head to hide her pink cheeks while she experimentally wiggled her fingers in the surprisingly comfortable wrappings. She turned her hands palm up and flexed them into tight fists, pleased with the way the bandages kept her cracked knuckles from stinging in the open air. She smiled up at whiskered boy, "thanks Naruto-kun, for everything."

"No worries Hime! That's what friends are for, dattebayo!" And with that Naruto exuberantly yanked her to her feet and pulled her back to the middle of the clearing, intent on showing her the "super cool shinobi moves" he'd seen while "gathering intelligence" at the training grounds.

Hinata trotted behind him and laughed out loud as he tried to explain what he'd seen while sneaking around the edges of the fields where the new genin teams were practicing. _Naruto-kun has the funniest ways of describing things_ , she mused. Listening to him impersonate of one of the Jonin sensei who had been frustrated to the point of tears with trying to teach his genin to walk up trees, something suddenly clicked in Hinata's brain.

"Wait, Naruto-kun, say that part again," she gushed and the wild boy eagerly whipped around to resume his over exaggerated mimicry of the I'm-a-super-important-sensei-pose. His chin tucked in and one fist firmly pressed onto his back whilst the other waved a haughty finger in the air.

"When I was your age," he drawled in deep voice, "I had to learn to climb trees in the snow, and we weren't allowed to eat for days until we had mastered the art of—"

"No, no! The part before that!" the girl could hardly contain herself as an epiphany nibbled on the edge of her mind.

"Eh? Oh! Um, you mean the part where he said to concentrate your chakra into your feet? He said it was like picturing a bowl of water in your gut and filling it up, then pouring it through your body and letting it flow down to pool in your feet, finally forcing it out, but with control, or else it'll just blast you off the bark and dump you on your ass." The blinked at her blankly. "Why?"

"Pooling water, then pushing it out. Hmm.." she murmured, picturing the chakra flowing through her system like a river which she commanded. For what felt like the millionth time since she had started training, Hinata carefully made the hand seals of her clan's infamous bloodline. Naruto was just about to launch into another imitation of the stuffy sensei when he noticed something. Turning to Hinata, his eyes grew big and his mouth popped open. _She feels different. She feels...deeper?_

Hinata focused on that funny feeling in her gut, the one that she got whenever she really hit her stride going through her katas, it was like a euphoria born of movement. As if everything within her suddenly synchronized, her body becoming an incredible machine, and she was unstoppable, she was high, she was soaring. She sought that feeling, grabbed it, and pulled it up, up, up into her head, building and building until her skull felt like it might explode. Using every last bit of focus and concentration she possessed, she pulsed, and cried out in a confident voice, "BYAKUGAN!"

Her eyes flew open and the world began to whirl. The landscape was a colorless profundity careening around her. Pictures flooded her mind, tripping over each other and colliding until she started to feel nauseous. Hinata grit her teeth and fought the boiling vertigo down. _Sharper_ , she thought, _calmer_ , _smoother_.

Suddenly the images aligned and Hinata gasped. She could _see_. It was like rapidly flipping through a stacked deck of cards with her thumb. The more she pushed the faster she flipped, the deeper she went, layer after layer was peeled away as the panorama stretched on forever. Hinata had never seen anything so amazing. She was afraid to even blink as her temples pulsed and she continued to feed her bloodline with the flowing internal river of chakra.

"Hime you did it, dattebayo!" Naruto was bursting with joy for his friend's success. He hopped over to hide behind the post and yelled back to her, "how many fingers am I holding up?" Hinata's grin was so big her cheeks hurt. She enthusiastically announced all his hand gestures correctly one after another until her vision started to blur and she cut off her bloodline before she lost her lunch. It didn't help that Naruto was suddenly swinging her around by her hands and making all the blood rush to her head.

"Thank you Naruto-kun." Hinata gasped out, breathless from the exertion and exhilaration of her triumph. "I was ready to give up and you pushed me. Now I'm even closer to my dream because of you."

Naruto was already shaking his head. "No way Hime, that was all you. Ya just needed to think a bit differently. Neji is great and all, but sometimes you just gotta _feel_ it for yourself, y'know?" He placed one hand over his heart and another on hers. "When you find what feels right, everything else just falls into place."

The rest of the afternoon was spent "practicing" all the other jutsu that Naruto had seen. When Neji arrived later with a stack of bento boxes that Hiro-san and forced him to bring, (seriously, did he _look_ like a delivery boy to everyone?) he found the pair laughing and attempting to mimic a "water justu" by spitting streams of water out of their mouths and seeing who could shoot the farthest. Neji wrinkled his nose in disgust at their childish shenanigans, but was inwardly pleased to see Hinata-san so happy. The pleasure ceased abruptly when Naruto spied the newcomer and immediately began to attack him with his new "jutsu", relentlessly chasing Neji around the training ground despite the threats of physical harm being hurled his way.

Hinata barely saved the food.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Chapter 7

Hatake Kakashi exited the Hokage tower after his mind numbing debriefing and squinted in the dawning sunlight of the new day. Adjusting the hitai-ate over his sensitive left eye before tucking an ANBU Dog mask into his backpack, he allowed himself a long stretch that cracked the vertebrae up and down his spine. It was early enough that, despite his exhaustion, the temptation of avoiding the overwhelming masses of people by visiting the market as it opened had him heading toward the shopping district. He would have to be quick though, for no hour was too early to promise complete safety from the self titled "Green Beast of Konoha" and his damnable competitions. Avoiding those awkward entanglements was one of the perks of the long absences which accompanied his role and an ANBU shinobi of the Leaf. The less peopling, the better.

Not that he hated the village itself, there were just, too many memories built into this place. Memories that always seemed to lead back to emotions that he would rather leave alone, forgotten and buried, along with all his loved ones. Glancing over his shoulder he scans the faces carved into the mountainside. _Well, perhaps not all should be forgotten_.

The Jonin turned and nimbly darted down the road, when a soft pop and the silent landing of four paws preceded the arrival of one of Kakashi's few familiars, animal or otherwise.

A bark echoed in the crisp morning air, "Yo!"

"Pakkun, report."

"You know Kakashi, I don't think you appreciate the level of difficulty involved in this little mission you continue to send me on," huffed the gruff voice of the pug as he fell into step beside the swiftly moving ninja headed towards the market district. "Spying on those three is definitely worth more than a few extra biscuits."

The Copy Nin hummed non-commitally but smiled under his mask. "What's the matter Pakkun? The young ones wearing you out in your dotage?"

The canine sniffed in indignation. "I never said I could not do it, only that your form of payment sucks. Two of them have the Byakugan for Kami's sake. And the Pup can always sense me when I get too close, even if I'm downwind."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at this last bit of information, ignoring the Pug's grumblings about "sneaky prisoner foxes". It would seem this might be another gift the young boy had been blessed with, perhaps courtesy of his inner demon. And heaven knew, the kid had precious few blessings to his name.

"It will serve them well to learn such acute awareness of their surroundings this young, especially if they continue in their current pursuits. How goes the 'training sessions' of the aspiring little ninjas?" The pair took to the rooftops to continue their conversation, aware that in a hidden village, even walls had ears.

"Quite well actually, even with the antics of the knucklehead," Pakkun chuckled with the memory of Naruto arguing with Neji over whether or not his prank pouches should be allowed as legit ninja weapons in their spar. The "debate" (if one could call the inventive cussing and innovative insults as such) had ended with the Hyuga prodigy covered in muddy pink paint and the blond prankster dragging around a dead leg until he had accidentally flared his chakra in the midst of the brawl, thereby reestablished feeling in the limb. Pakkun had nearly revealed his hiding spot with his snorts of laughter when Hinata had arrived and proceeded to threaten both of the boys to act their age, or else she would toss their bentos in the river. Hinata's petite frame had loomed comically over the penitent boys as they both bowed low and apologized for their misbehavior.

"The Hyuga boy is strict with the younger two, but patient enough," he summarized neatly. "The girl has a ways to go to build up enough stamina to challenge the boys in a serious spar, but her focus is unshakable. The Pup has enough energy for all of them, and usually has to be knocked nearly senseless before he quits. The influence of the others is certainly helping him grow by leaps and bounds, though. He and the girl seem to be especially close." The ninken pretended not to hear the ridiculous giggle that came from the ANBU next to him.

Pakkun glanced over at Kakashi's happily creased right eye, the only part of his face left uncovered. Even an experienced comrade would have difficulty deciphering the guarded thoughts and emotions in that single exposed orb. He had known the man since he was a boy, and understood without needing to be told why this unofficial mission was so important to him.

While Kakashi was most certainly a hardened shinobi, trained to evict all emotions and complete all assigned missions with ruthlessness and skill, he would not tolerate abandoning a comrade. Never again. Pakkun and the rest of the pack of Kakashi's ninken summons all readily agreed that the borderline self destructive man was too young, too broken, too insecure, and too important, to leave the cutthroat life of an ANBU operative behind and spend his days puppy guarding his Sensei's son. But without fail, the Yondaime's former student always made sure to check on Naruto whenever he was home in between missions.

It was for all these reasons that Pakkun watched Kakashi carefully as he revealed his next piece of intelligence.

"Pup's been sleeping in the forest again. I found his little den. Kid likes to pretend he is an actual fox, I swear. The other two have been giving him extra food, and the old man at that Ramen stand is letting him have a free bowl now and again. He is still small, but doesn't seem malnourished. And he has a new red scarf that he never takes off."

The Copy Nin landed in a neat crouch on the edge of a rooftop above their destination, and forced back the warring feelings of guilt and anger that seemed to plague him in every aspect of his life. He glared down at the jumble of multicolored tarps shading the various market stalls of the ungrateful civilians.

It wasn't the first time that he'd discovered an orphanage had been neglecting the son of Minato-sensei and Kushina-senpai. It was a cruel irony, considering the fact that it was she who had been such a strong proponent of the need for these establishments after the end of the Third War, specifically in order to prevent the exact situation in which her own son found himself. The Uzumaki's own experiences as a refugee and orphan of war had inspired her to take up the yoke of the forgotten children of shinobi who had been killed in action. Kushina-senpai believed it to be the duty of the village to care for the children of those who had protected it with their lives. When Minato-sensei, also a child of parents who had sought refuge in Konoha as a result of the extermination of Uzushiogakure, had become the Fourth Hokage, he had supported many of Kushina-senpai's proposals and requests for funding from the council.

Both of the Whirlpool descended shinobi were a force to be reckoned both on and off the battlefield. The age old ties of the two premier clans of the Village Hidden in the Whirling Tides, the Uzumaki and the Namikaze, were excellently represented in the bond between Minato-sensei and Kushina-senpai. These days, few ninja bothered to learn the details of other hidden village's histories, but Kakashi was not most ninja, and they didn't call him a genius for nothing.

Before expanding his literary horizons to include the masterpieces of Jiraya-sama, Kakashi had pilfered the library of his father, and later on Minato-sensei as well when the man had taken the broken boy under his wing. His eager young mind had devoured the tale of The Fall of Uzushiogakure with the same passion which most of his peers would subscribe to manga comics.

It was one of the most fantastically tragic epochs of the shinobi world. The shocking betrayal of the Lands of Earth, Lightning, and Water, and the stubborn hubris of the Uzumaki who refused to believe they could be conquered, all leading to a brutal siege and battle. The ingeniously planned harrowing escape of the Namikaze clan, among others, as they fled their war torn country to seek the support of her allies. The desperate attempt of The Leaf to rescue the island clans of the hidden village, only to be thwarted by Kami herself in a cataclysmic storm, concocted by the judgment of gods. The apocalyptic monsoon had sunk an entire fleet of ships built by the Shodaime himself, leaving them only able to rescue those who had later washed up on the ocean's shores. It was a heartbreaking narrative of pride, greed, and survival.

That was some epic shit right there, and an emo inclined young Kakashi had been a bit obsessed. When he had realized that the new Jonin sensei and his red headed partner were descendants of those very same survivors, the closet romantic within Kakashi that he would deny ever existed, might have internally fan-girled. But because he was a serious shinobi who did not have time for such silly obsessions he had kept his feelings hidden, especially from those other ninja who were already judging his immaturity. Being the youngest person to ever make genin kinda put a target on your back, and when his father had gone and done the unthinkable, the boy had shut down all his emotions entirely.

It had taken two seemingly useless teammates to change everything. To set him back on the straight and narrow. And when they had been taken away as well, Sensei and his wife had shown the struggling teenager that strength can rise from ashes and push people to temper themselves in the fire that was meant to consume them. On the horrible day when he lost Minato-sensei and Kushina-senpai, he had stopped believing in happy endings, and again fallen down into a pit of despair.

Despite the Third Hokage's reluctance, the old man had been desperate for decent shinobi, and had acquiesced to the incessant demands of the young ANBU that he be assigned all the 'S' and 'Unranked' missions available. Kakashi unleashed his outrage at Kami, at Fate, at humanity, with an unholy fury that had even his own comrades walking a wide circle around him. His complete lack of self preservation combined with the talents of a genius shinobi gifted with one of the most powerful ocular dojutsu the world had to offer proved to be a deadly combination for his enemies, and his own mind. He embodied the empty shell his mentor had always feared he would become.

Until that day.

It was the tenth of October, and to his immense disgust, there were no missions available, leaving Kakashi to wander mindlessly over to the memorial stone, where he stood staring mutely at the rows of names, ignoring the festival that raged downtown. He had lost track of how long he had stood there, when suddenly his senses tugged him back to the present and he became aware of a small orange blur streaking through the trees. Kakashi had been startled to realize that it was a very small child, maybe three or four years old, who was apparently running for his life if the panting gasps and whimpers were any kind of indicator. Hot on his tail were a group of drunken villagers, screaming for the death of the "Demon Kyuubi Child". Horrified realization dawned on the ANBU as his eye flicked back to the yellow haired boy just as a branch snapped beneath his small bare foot, sending the son of his hero crashing head over heels towards the ground and awaiting mob.

Sometimes, your body just moves without thinking.

That night, Naruto had learned that somewhere out there, was a man in a Dog mask who would kill to protect him. Kakashi had stormed the Hokage tower followed by a barely conscious child clinging to the back of his largest ninken, and demanded that the boy be placed in a different orphanage. Naruto's disheveled state and poor nourishment was appalling. The Hokage had instantly made the necessary moves and fired the matron who had been feeding him the false reports on Naruto's welfare. Kakashi had spent the rest of the night sitting in the rain before the etched names of the memorial stone, begging Kushina-senpai's forgiveness for allowing his own grief to blind him, and failing to guard her son.

Kakashi shuddered to think of her rage if she could see how badly the system had failed her child. An image came to mind, of nine thick strands of bright red hair, waving like the flames of hell around a seething kunoichi as she cracked her knuckles menacingly, preparing to unleash righteous judgment on all who dared to lay a hand on her precious boy.

Bastards would've deserved it.

Over the years, keeping an eye on the Fourth's Legacy had become his own personal mission, one which his pack of ninken had ferociously adopted. Watching the way the boy tackled all his problems with an unfailing determination while continuing to wear that sunny grin had helped to redeem the broken Copy Ninja by restoring his faith in the human condition one small step at a time. A chance encounter with Jiraya-sama, who had also stopped by to check on Naruto during one of his rare visits to The Leaf, had not only allied the two shinobi as co-conspirators in the little knucklehead's unofficial protection squad, but had reintroduced Kakashi to his hidden love of literature. Because Icha Icha was totally not smut. It was literary art of the highest caliber. Dangerous missions still found the silver haired ANBU out of the village as much as he was within it these days, but his hands held a small orange book more often than a kunai.

It was a great way to deter people from trying to socialize with him. Because no matter how far he had come in chipping away at his hardened heart, there were still some ignorant civilians out there that he would rather pretend did not exist.

"Pakkun," the lazy drawl of his voice didn't fool the pug. "I have a message for you to deliver to the Hokage for me before you head home."

The ninken grinned in a display of sharp teeth, easily reading between the lines and approving. "No problem, but I better see some extra pork in my bowl the next time I visit. The Pup nearly barbecued me with the last trap he had rigged around his little den in the woods. Kid is getting kinda scary with his newer creations. You shinobi need to be more careful about where you leave your explosive tags lying around."

Sunlight flashed off pale gray hair as the ANBU bent to scratch behind the dog's ears. "You know," murmured almost to himself, "Minato-sensei was one of the most underestimated ninja of the Third War, until the world saw what he could do for themselves." His dark eye creased up into a happy expression. "Nice to know that the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree."

In the distance the loud echoes of a deep voice, boisterously shouting about the "youthful nascence of morning exercise" was picked up by Kakashi's sensitive ears. It seemed to be originating from the direction of a certain spandex wearing jonin's favorite exercise route for his daily laps around the village.

"Welp, time to get scarce. Ja ne!"

Pakkun chuckled as he leapt through the swirl of leaves left in the wake of Kakashi's shunshin. "Baka, forgot to get his groceries."

* * *

Hizashi slid the stack of Branch House reports onto his brother's desk before standing back to wait for the necessary signatures. As usual, Hiashi took his time before acknowledging his existence. The barely older twin had never been one to miss an opportunity to remind others of his position of authority.

To say that tensions were high between the two scions of the Hyuga Clan was like saying the Kyuubi was a bit grumpy. Hizashi had made it a point to stay away from the newly married man, intent on keeping himself and Hinata out of sight and out of mind. His daughter had informed him of her "discovery" of the oh-so-Honorable Wife's pregnancy, and anticipating his brother to be as close to experiencing a good mood as he was physically able, Hizashi had sought out this opportunity to surreptitiously slip his own agenda onto the table.

Hiashi flipped through the neatly organized papers, scrutinizing them for any tiny error that he could expose. As usual, there were none to be found in the meticulous rows of calculations and reports. He swiftly began to scribble his name across the few pages that required his written approval, pausing as he came to one halfway through the stack.

"What is this?"

"An enrollment form for the ninja academy. Nothing you haven't signed every year."

Hiashi shot his brother a look from under scowling brows at the dismissive tone, but pushed his point. "There is only one candidate. Usually we send at least three, do we not? We cannot have the Hyuga viewed as lacking in strength."

Hizashi bit his tongue to keep the retort that the self styled Master of the Hyuga himself was far behind his peer group in terms of procreation, and simply replied, "The influenza outbreak a few years back seems to have hit this generation harder than we thought."

"Hn."

The two stared at each other for a beat, trying to read the cracks in the other's mask for any tells of underhandedness. Hiashi, seemingly satisfied that he was not being deceived by the Branch subordinate, dipped his brush into the ink once more.

Hizashi held in his sigh of relief as the Clan Head dismissively signed the release and moved onto the next document. Concluding his review, Hiashi smartly stacked the papers on his desk before thrusting them back at his twin without bothering to make eye contact. Executing a curt bow Hizashi quickly departed, pleased that he would be able to reassure his daughter that she had been given permission to attend the academy, free and clear.

When Hinata had first come to him with her request, he had initially been worried for his gentle daughter's welfare. He was intimately familiar with the hard life that awaited a shinobi, it was demanding and filled with conflict. Hinata's existence had been one of such emotional turmoil in recent weeks that he worried about her being able to withstand the additional physical strain of the necessary brutal training. But yesterday, on Neji's request, he had followed his son into the small clearing outside the clan grounds to find Hinata and Naruto-kun, of all people, engaged in a lively spar that had both the children grinning and sweating as they traded blows.

His petite daughter was attacking with confidence and taking her hits with grace. The hyperactive blond was surprisingly quick and pressing his advantage, but she was fluid, dodging as often as she was struck. The thing that had the father's jaw dropping was her face. She was flushed with the healthy glow of exercise, her face frowning in concentration but breaking out into open delight whenever she managed to land a hit.

Then, the supposedly useless heiress did something that had the seasoned Shinobi letting out an unguarded gasp of shock. With a shout and a hand sign, her Byakugan flared to life halfway through the little match and suddenly the two children were meeting each other blow for blow.

Naruto-kun was dancing around her fast as lightning, and not pulling any punches on his female opponent. His hits landed solidly, if a bit sloppily, and his form was rather chaotic to say the least. Hinata was twisting away from the wild hail of blows while protecting her vulnerable points and strategically landing her palm strikes wherever she could find an opening. Her attacks lacked the power and speed of the boy's, but her precision was reaping its own rewards as she focused her bloodline on his tenketsu and finally hit her mark, leaving his right arm hanging limply by his side.

"Gah! You got me again Hime! Shit that hurts!"

"Language Naruto-kun," her soft voice scolded mildly, "Come here, let me fix it for you." As ferociously as the two had been attacking each other they instantly shifted gears and Hinata neatly poked him again, allowing his chakra to flow freely once more. Naruto grinned as he shook the feeling back into his hand, before reaching out to perform the sign of reconciliation.

Naruto held up his fingers and wiggled them experimentally. "Man Hime, once you go into Byakugan mode you're damn deadly." Hinata just blushed a bit and poked her fingertips together at the exuberant praise. "S-sorry Naruto-kun, but you are getting better at guarding your openings."

"No worries, it wouldn't be any fun if you went easy on me," The rambunctious boy cheekily bumped her shoulder with his own to prompt her back to the middle of the ring they had carved into the dirt "C'mon, best out of three!"

Hizashi had blinked once, then twice before looking at Neji, who was standing smugly by his side with his arms crossed, trying and failing miserably to keep his pride from lighting up his face. The surprised father reciprocated the feeling full force with a smart clap to the back of his son's shoulder, knocking him off balance with a chuckle.

"You've done well Neji. They're both a testament to their teacher."

Neji huffed at the rough show of praise but nodded his thanks. Trying to deflect attention away from the pleased blush on his own face he said, "I should get a salary for having to deal with Naruto. He's like a wild wind that never stops blowing or randomly changing direction, and just blasts whoever is in his path. Hinata-imouto never has to be told anything twice before she has grasped its concept, but her instincts could use some work. Her Byakugan though," Neji lowered his voice, and if Hizashi didn't know any better he'd say there was a note of awe in the boy's tone. "She sees remarkably clearly for one who has just awakened her bloodline. She was hitting Naruto's tenketsu within a week. Although it took some coaxing from him to convince her to go all out and put her full strength into it. Soon I plan on starting them on basic chakra control exercises."

The older Hyuga did not miss the change in honorifics that Neji used when addressing the other two children, and inwardly smiled with pleasure. Naruto had always preferred to be casually addressed, although he never corrected Hinata when she added the "-kun" onto his name. Hizashi knew Hinata had not told her "Niisan" about the recently discovered legitimacy of the affectionate honorific she had always used to address him, but was pleased to see Neji relaxing his rigid manners around the girl and returning the sisterly endearment. The vigilant boy had always regarded the dainty girl in the same way one would observe a pretty doll on display, a thing to be admired and protected. He had always staunchly insisted on addressing her by the appropriate use of "-sama" ever since he was a child. The softening of his stoic approach towards her ever since she had been cast aside by the Main House was a testament to his growing care for the strong girl.

The spar ended abruptly when the unpredictable Naruto had somehow whirled past Hinata's defenses and managed to knock her to the ground with an "oof". She waved off his apologies and assistance, popping back up quickly and challenging him to round three. Instantly the two were back at it with renewed vigor for the tie breaking match.

"Otou-san," Neji turned to face his father, a serious demeanor settling over him. "I wanted to ask you, there is something...unique, about Naruto's chakra network. I didn't notice it myself until Hinata-imotou pointed it out when she compared his to my own." Hizashi's eyebrow creased as he guessed where this turn in the conversation was going, but did not interrupt the boy's assessment.

"His flow is... _fast_ and chaotic, and he just seems to have _more_ of it. A lot more, actually. One time he reopened a tenketsu completely unintentionally by just flaring his chakra during an intense spar with myself. And all without even realizing what he had done. He's completely a creature of instinct. I've never fought anyone in the academy like him. And sometimes it seems he is the one with eyes in the back of his head. I don't believe he realizes how unique his chakra is, and I have no idea what to tell him."

Hizashi took all this in, immediately recognizing the signs of potential influence from the Kyuubi, combined with his Namikaze/Uzumaki heritage. He activated his Byakugan and studied Naruto as he once again bested the fatiguing girl with a swift swipe of his leg that she could not quite dodge. The growing child jabbered animatedly with Hinata as he tried to help her brush the dust off of her back, and a bit lower, before she squeaked and twisted away while turning red. The humorously oblivious boy showed no signs of any darkness within, his whole being was happy and bright. According to reports from both his children, even when he was frustrated Naruto never lashed out at his friends. In fact he was fiercely protective of them, like an animal guarding his pack. Lately he had insisted on taking over the role of accompanying Hinata into the village for her errands. It would seem that the faith of the Yondaime had not been misplaced by entrusting that his child could contain the intense hatred of the Nine Tailed Demon, despite being given numerous provocations to unleash its wrath upon his fellow man.

His peace of mind confirmed, Hizashi deactivated his bloodline. "It will bear watching as he grows and gains more control of his chakra," he acknowledged his son's observations but kept his tone light and conclusions vague when continuing. "But remember, Naruto-kun doesn't know anything about his origins. There could be an explanation in his family history that he is not aware of which could justify such unique traits. In the mean time, I see no harm in continuing to train with him. You all have improved far beyond my expectations."

At this point they both noticed the subject of their scrutiny suddenly freeze and start swiveling his head around as if looking for something. His blue eyes fixed on the two partially concealed Hyuga and he happily tapped Hinata on the shoulder and directed her attention their way.

Neji caught his father's eye with a look that said "see what I mean?" and they began walking towards the aspiring little ninjas. Feelings of pride and protectiveness filled Hizashi as he surveyed the promising children that were blossoming before his very eyes. A sudden thought dawned on the father, and a dark eyebrow raised as he observed the way his daughter was giggling at her friend.

"Neji, since when has he called her _Hime_?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Chapter 8

On a particularly hot summer day, after another heart pounding escape through town, Naruto collapsed beneath a tree near the edge of the village, where the hillside met the walls. He had been prowling through the branches looking for a way to sneak in and see Hinata again, hoping to talk to her while she went about her chores. She had missed training yesterday and things just were not the same without her there to laugh at his jokes and smile at his mistakes. Not many people gave him smiles, and hers just seemed, somehow, _more_.

So today, after waiting for hours (okay maybe only thirty minutes, but who was counting?) he had abandoned any hope of training and went to search out his friend. The last time she had missed two days of training was when _that woman_ , The Honorable Bitch, had activated Hinata's caged bird seal as punishment for dropping a tray of tea and shattering the delicate ceramics. Naruto had been nearly sick with worry until an equally frustrated Neji had finally challenged the pacing blond to a no holds barred spar so that they each could blow off steam. The massive fight had left them both so beaten and exhausted that when Hizashi had arrived, with his Byakugan flaring, they could hardly stand. The Branch Hyuga had just chuckled while mumbling something about boys being boys and how some things never change, before he carried them both back to the compound to join Hinata for dinner. The two combatants had grinned rather stupidly through matching swollen black eyes at a slightly pale Hinata who could only blink in shock at their injuries and happy faces, while gingerly sipping Hiro-san's tea.

Unfortunately, Naruto had been so absorbed in recollecting the amazing feeling of a warm family dinner, that he had landed harder than intended on a tree limb near the Hyuga compound. His abrupt arrival had accidentally pissed off some stupid pigeon, who proceeded to berate the poor boy so loudly it had drawn the attention of the nearby Branch guard. That guy had been freakin' hard to escape! Even using his most elusive maneuvers, Naruto had nearly ended up on the other side of the village before he felt the shinobi give up and head back. _Damned Hyuga. Damned Byakugan. Damned bird. Ruining everything._

The small blond pouted and slumped against the tree with his arms crossed. Moodily he reached down and chucked a rock into the dense foliage, but was surprised a split second later to have it hurled back at him, with ten more rapidly following. Dodging all the projectiles with an ease that he had yet to realize was unusual for a child his age, he popped up and shouted, "Oi! What gives?! Face me like a man, you lazy assed chicken!"

However it was not the expected drunken civilian or neighborhood bully that emerged from behind the curtain of leaves, but a blank white mask. Naruto's fists slowly lowered from his fighting stance, and his blue eyes studied the stealthy figure materializing before him. _He must be a shinobi_ , Naruto assessed. His footsteps made no sounds, even on the dry leaves. There was neither a bounce to his step, nor an intimidating stomp. He was almost gliding forwards out of the shadows. The weapon pouch strapped to his leg definitely confirmed the guarded boy's suspicions.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the ninja called, it was not a question.

"Who's looking?" Naruto warily replied. He had learned the hard way, that not all ninja were nice ninja. In fact, aside from Jiji, Hinata's father, and Dog (who liked to pretend he was not the one sending that Ninken to check on him, _puh-lease_ ), he couldn't think of _any_ nice ninja. Those guys didn't exactly do "nice". So the random appearance of this eerily blank white masked shinobi, had the unfortunately experienced child's instincts on high alert.

The intruder tilted his head slightly, seeming to appraise the boy who was trying very hard to appear unafraid, despite the way his pulse visibly raced in his neck. "I have come to deliver an invitation to you."

"A wha...?"

"Would you like to be a shinobi?"

Would he like to be a shinobi? Did the Hokage like tobacco?! Hell yeah he wanted to be a shinobi! It was only his living dream, to fight his way into the adoration of the villagers and become Hokage, the most powerful shinobi on the face of the earth! Kami, he would do just about anything...

"Tell me more!"

* * *

Hiruzen sighed as he sat down on the fallen log beside Naruto-kun's campfire near the banks of the river. Once again he had found it necessary to use his crystal ball to find the jinchuriki's forest den when Dog had reported that the boy had not come back to the orphanage for a while, and yet the head mistress had not deemed it necessary to include his absence in the last status report. This was the third, no the _fourth_ , time he had intervened on behalf of the scorned child. He would never understand how these civilians could rationalize such gross neglect. It had become obvious that the simmering antipathy between the matron and the kid was mutual, for he was as keen on avoiding her and the orphanage, as she was to be rid of him. And if Naruto-kun wanted to avoid you, it was nearly impossible to find him. For such a loud child, both aesthetically and audibly, he sure had a hell of an ability to hide. _It will be interesting to see what kind of a shinobi he becomes some day_ , the old man snickered to himself.

The Hokage glanced over at the shaggy runaway and his expression sobered. The boy was unusually quiet tonight. A stream of conversation usually sprouted freely from the boy's mouth, but tonight his face was scrunched up in a look of constipated concentration that was nearly painful to see. The aging man's heavy eyebrow lifted and he cleared his throat before saying, "Naruto-kun, what on earth is on your mind?"

Big blue eyes that danced in the firelight turned to the old man, and after a heartbeat, the small but steady voice answered him with a question of his own.

"Jiji, what do I have to do to become Hokage?"

Hiruzen fought the urge to chuckle, this was not an unexpected subject matter for Naruto-kun. However the seriousness with which the boy has brought up the topic tonight, gave The Professor a feeling that the question ran deeper than it seemed. He paused and scrutinized the expression of uncertainty cast cross the round face. _Look underneath, the underneath_.

"A Hokage is the one who protects the village and all who are within it," he answered the earnest question with sincerity. "They are the one who defends against enemies and strives for peace. They bear the burden of deciding what must be done for the best of the village, even if it means someone we care about might get hurt. Because the village is the future, and future must be preserved at all costs." At the last word the aged shinobi gently placed his hand on the shorter head of spiky yellow hair that seemed to blaze even brighter in the firelight. "And you, Naruto-kun, would be a wonderful Hokage, do you know why?"

"Because I'm a super bad ass and all the other ninja are gonna be blown away by my epic awesomeness, dattebayo?!" The boy bounded to his feet to accentuate his declaration with rapid fire punches at an invisible enemy.

This time he was unable to contain his laughter, and the Hokage wiped a tear from his eye as Naruto blushed but giggled as well.

"Well, yes, there is always that, to be sure. But I was talking about your strongest quality." Hiruzen poked a weathered finger into the skinny chest of the child, tapping his heart with emphasis. "This, Naruto-kun, is your greatest advantage and the key to becoming Hokage." Naruto gently rubbed his hand over his ribs and looked up to his Jiji with confusion on his face.

"Your ability to create bonds with people, to cherish those bonds, and fight for them, will be the key to your strength. Our bonds with each other are what make all the bad things worth enduring. And that is what shinobi do, _we endure_."

Once again the boy lapsed into thoughtful silence, and Hiruzen could only shake his head at the uncanny resemblance he held to his father. _Minato, what would you think if you saw him now? Am I doing enough? Have I said too much? Sometimes I feel uncertain of my own mind._

"I like that much better," stated Naruto with an air of finality. "Your way makes much more sense than what that creepy ninja said. It just feels right in here, ya know?" He emphasized his conclusion by firmly planting his fist over his heart, and nodding sagely with satisfaction.

The Hokage's brow furrowed at this comment. "What ninja, Naruto-kun? Who has been talking to you?"

Naruto frowned and humphed dramatically before reaching to remove a skewered fish from the fire and inspecting it closely.

"Some weirdo with a white mask. He followed me today and said he knew a guy who could make me into the strongest ninja ever, and teach me tons of cool jutsus and stuff." Deciding the fish was done he handed the stick over to Hiruzen, who accepted it but gestured for him to continue.

"Then he told me that in order to be strong enough to be Hokage I had to leave everyone behind and only listen to this one guy, uh, I think he called him Bozo-sama." Naruto took a big bite out of the other cooked fish he had pulled from the fire. His next words were garbled as he chewed sloppily on the hot meat, "and that just didn't feel right, you know Jiji? I mean, I finally made some friends in Hinata and Neji, and I just can't give that up now!"

Internally, Hiruzen was fuming. The skewer in his hand shook as he realized how close he had come to losing this precious child. But he schooled his voice and asked, "So what was your answer to him?"

"Well, I wasn't really sure at that moment. I mean, those jutsu did sound super cool. But I think he figured I was just shocked or something because he didn't wait for me to answer, just told me to come back to that spot tonight when it was dark, and then he just disappeared all of a sudden. As soon as he left that ninken showed up, although he still thinks he's too sneaky for me to notice. As if! So I left him sniffing around in the leaves where the ninja had disappeared. Then I went to try and find Hinata again, but Neji gave me this weird note from her instead. And then I got hungry so I came here. I was gonna go back to that place and meet the ninja _after_ we had dinner, cuz I remembered I had already promised you some fish next time we hung out, and I never go back on my word! But now, I don't think I want to be a shinobi like that. I want to be a Hokage that has a crap ton of friends, dattebayo!" The boy's rambling narration of the near miss went on uninterrupted as Hiruzen processed all the information.

The two continued to eat their fill of fish, with Naruto animatedly taking over most of the conversation, as he usually did, with all kinds of random concerns and observations. Some of the more notable ones being: "what does 'that time of the month' mean, and why did it keep Hinata away from training? Was it like The Shy?" The perplexed blond had waved the note that poor Neji had once again been reduced delivering in front of a flustered Hiruzen's face. The uncomfortable man and puffed rapidly on his pipe and blushed before telling Naruto to ask Dog the next time he saw him. But all through boy's disjointed ramblings and awkward questions, the wheels in the back of the Hokage's head were spinning.

As the last log crumbled into embers, Hiruzen rose to his feet and firmly stamped his cane into the ground, having made up his mind on several things. "Come along Naruto-kun, you're not going to sleep in the trees tonight. It's high time that you have a place to call home. Follow me." Naruto's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he scrambled after the old man with a thousand new questions spewing from his mouth faster than a lightning jutsu.

* * *

A week later Hiruzen entered the village council meeting in a fouler mood than he ever had before. Ever since his decision to relocate Naruto-kun, the amount of filed complaints had tripled, creating towers of paperwork all over his desk. The fact that most of them were ridiculous bullshit had the furious shinobi nearly steaming.

The meeting had barely been called to order when the chairperson of the civilian council shot to his feet. "Hokage-sama! The council demands to know why you have gone over our heads and given _that child_ funds for food and lodging without seeking our approval first." The overconfident man leaned forward over the table, pressing the palms of his hands flat on its glossy surface in a way that emphasized the sparkling array of rings on his fingers.

 _Here we go. Gird your loins you fools_. "The funds for the keeping of _Uzumaki Naruto_ ," Hiruzen made sure to emphasize the boy's proper name with no small amount of killing intent, "came from a private donor. Neither the village nor myself are financially contributing to his care."

"Hokage-sama, it is unsafe!" A woman to his left protested, dramatically clasping her bosom in mock fear. "He is unsupervised in that place! Who will watch him outside of the orphanage? He will end up rampaging unchecked through the-"

"At the last meeting you were complaining that he was a danger to the other orphans!" Hiruzen cut off the absurd accusation. He was rapidly losing what little patience he had left as the council members nearly twitched with agitation at his continued rebuttals. "And if you think that the pathetic excuse for childcare which was being provided by that _institution_ qualified as 'supervision', then you will be thrilled to learn that I have personally ensured that he will be guarded at all times." The last part of the statement was directed straight at Danzo's bandaged face. _I see you_ , the God of Shinobi's glare seemed to say, _your shadows cannot hide from me_.

Danzo returned the gaze with his own glare, a small smirk on his face. He had made sure to visit each of the civilian council members in the days prior to this meeting, stirring up their righteous indignation over the 'gross abuse of the Hokage's power'. They were pitifully easy to manipulate. And this was just a small, first attempt at taking the kyuubi boy under his wing. If that ninken had not been there, his agent would have been successful. But it was of no matter, Danzo was a patient man.

"This is blatant favoritism Hokage-sama!" An older councilman declared by slamming his fist into the table as if to hammer home the idea that he was the voice of all reason. "If anyone should be protected it should be the last Uchiha! Without the Sharingan, The Leaf will be the laughing stock of the Hidden Villa-"

The Hokage drove his cane into the floor with a reverberating crack to silence the biased demand. "The Uchiha has a whole damned compound at his disposal, stocked with jutsu and weapons that are for his use alone. I hardly believe that-"

"But Hokage-sama that _demon_ is not fit to be mingling with the rest of the villa-AACKK!"

The abhorrent moniker was the last straw. An explosion of killing intent so thick it could be cut with a kunai blasted through the council chambers. The civilians were nearly knocked out cold, many were left gasping for breath. The Elder Advisors flinched, Danzo's scowl deepened further than was thought physically possible. Even the shinobi clan leaders had sweat beading across their foreheads.

As quickly as the suffocating wave crashed across the room it dissipated, leaving the council members dazed in their seats. Not waiting for the assembled group to catch their collective breath and again insult the precious child who was the key to the prison that contained one of the village's greatest threats, the Hokage of Konohagakure arose with all the authority of his position as a leader of the Land of Fire, his penetrating black gaze panning the faces around him. His gravelly voice resonated with power as he addressed his captives- _er_ -audience.

"Seeing as it has come to my immediate attention that this civilian council is incapable making any rational decisions that take the welfare of _all_ the village inhabitants into account, I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Third Hokage of The Village Hidden in the Leaves, do hereby _dissolve_ the civilian council. Effective immediately!"

Nara Shikaku nearly swallowed his cigarette. Aburame Shibi's eyes were so big they could actually be seen. Akamichi Choza snorted crumbs across the table. Hyuga Hiashi's eyebrow was twitching uncontrollably as he brushed said crumbs off himself. Inuzuka Tsume had sunk her nails clean through the table. Yamanaka Inoichi emitted a girlishly squeaky gasp.

Only the two Elder Advisors seemed to be able string together a coherent thought. They leapt to their feet so abruptly that their chairs were knocked over beside Danzo, who seemed ready to snap his cane in two. "Hokage-sama, as your advisors, we strongly discourage this decision!" Homura barked angrily. The civilians had always been key swing votes when it came to opposing views.

"And as only advisors, I am entitled to disagree." Before anyone else could come up with any other ridiculous excuses the Hokage forged ahead, "This is a _Shinobi_ Village! The Village _Hidden_ in the Leaves, founded _by_ shinobi, in order for them to come together and cease their fighting, protect each other, and foster the Will of Fire so that it may burn with fervor down through the generations. The civilians were allowed to join our village so that we may enjoy the comforts of society they can offer, which are rarely provided to a warring people. And in return we offered them protection at the cost of our own lives." Hiruzen's hard eyes ruthlessly bored into the members of the council chambers, daring anyone to challenge his truths.

"We shinobi will not withdraw the blanket of our protection from the civilians that live amongst us. However, we will no longer be including them in the decisions that govern our laws as ninja. They will be permitted a committee that may submit a limited number of requests to the council at large via a single representative. Their children may attend the academy if they so choose. But the existence of a civilian council that holds sway over shinobi decisions, while refusing to participate in the life of a ninja, ENDS THIS DAY."

* * *

It was with a sense of satisfaction greater than that which he felt on the day he had passed this damned hat on to Minato, that Sarutobi Hiruzen lazily spun in his large leather chair. His cigar was burned down to the nub, which he gnawed absentmindedly. A timid knock broke into the silence of the empty office.

"Enter."

"Hokage-sama- _cough_ -the cleaning crew is here- _cough_. Perhaps you should call it a day?" The poor chunin assistant wiped her watering eyes. "There isn't any paperwork left, after all- _COUGH_."

The relaxed Hokage eyed the secretary who was trying fruitlessly to wave the haze of smoke away from her face. "Of course, of course," he murmured as he stood and walked towards the door, his robes leaving a trail through the piles of ashes on the floor.

When his smug face had finally disappeared down the stairs, the chunin eagerly waved at the genin team who had been assigned the unenviable D-rank mission of cleaning the defiled office.

"Honestly," she grumbled, blowing her nose into her filthy handkerchief. "Did he have use a freaking fire jutsu on all the civilian paperwork?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

  
Chapter 9

Naruto tiredly entered his new home, too exhausted from the effort of shopping after training all afternoon to even turn on the lights. A suspicious creaking sound that came from above his top floor dwelling made the boy freeze as he set the bags on the counter. Someone was walking across on roof, and it definitely was not Dog. This person felt different. He couldn’t explain how he knew, but this person just felt _strong.This can’t be good._

Grabbing a kunai out of his hip pouch, Naruto slid backwards into the shadows of the short hallway. He slowed his breathing, focusing his thoughts inwards and senses outward, just like he did every time a threat appeared.Hinata’s dad had once asked him how he had learned to “suppress his chakra” as he called it, after the boy had once again successfully snuck into the compound, but Naruto had no idea. He just did? It was something that seemed to come instinctually from the years of hiding from angry villagers and nasty bullies. If he really concentrated, he could even kind of sense people, or really, their presence, or maybe it was their chakra? Whatever the hell it was, he couldn’t do all the time, just if he was really focused on them.

Each person had a different feeling, and some of them had become familiar over the years. He knew that Dog was always popping up here and there check on him because sometimes, when he really felt alone and reached out with his mind, he felt him there. Dog's feeling was tense, like tightly pulled string of a bow with an arrow cocked and ready to loose. Plus he smelled like, well, dogs. Jiji was simple, his felt like a big warm campfire, comforting but dangerous if it got out of control. Nowadays he could add Neji and Hizashi to the list. They felt a lot alike, steady, like a kunai carefully balanced on a fingertip. Sensing Hinata was almost automatic it was so easy, he barely even had to try. But yet she was the hardest to describe. She was as ever changing as water, constantly shifting form, states, and flow. Sometimes she was serene as a pool, other times she boiled and crashed like the ocean waves.

This person however, the one who had now moved to his window, seemed enormous, bigger than even Jiji, they were impossible to ignore. Naruto crouched motionless in the closet. _Think small, think invisible, feel everything..._

A dark figure, just blacker than the night sky, was jiggling the latch on the window. He heard a faint twang and a small smile curled upon his mouth. _Wait for it, wait for it..._

BAM!! CRASH!! “ _OOF!!_ ”

“Gotcha, you bastard! That’s what you get for breaking into my home!” screamed the tiny berserker, bursting from his hiding place and brandishing his weapon with deadly intent. He swung the kunai at the intruder, nearly slashing their clothing, when suddenly his little body was enveloped by multiple prickly white ropes that wrapped around his arms and legs, leaving him bound, from neck to foot, wriggling on the apartment floor.

“Let go of me!” he growled while thrashing within the tightening vines of white that seemed to be alive. “This is my house! Jiji said I could stay here, and I wasn’t bothering nobody! So let me out of this...this...is this _hair_?” Looking closer at the masses of what indeed appeared to be strands of ridiculously long white hair, Naruto’s eyes slowly traced his bindings back to the source of his frustration.

The cloud of flour that had exploded from the pouch, carefully strung up in the window trap, was still swirling about the room as the perpetrator stepped forward and sneezed with ferocity.

“Damnit brat, next time you set traps for your window, make them blow the mess outside instead of blasting the guy into your apartment. Now you have hell of a mess in here, and do not expect me to clean this all up. For Kami’s sake you nearly ruined my clothes with that kunai! I didn’t even know you were in here.” _Wait, what?_ The intruder realized, _I...didn’t even feel him..._

The lights flicked on and Naruto got his first clear view of the owner of the impressive presence he felt. The small boy ceased his struggling and stared at the older man who was bending over to right the small table that had been blown sideways with his sudden entrance. Everything about him seemed massive compared to the tiny dwelling with its young tenant. He was taller than Hinata’s father, a huge scroll was strapped across his back, his clothes were bright red and green, long red streaks traced down his cheeks like the tracks of bloody tears, his geta were stupid tall (how did he even walk in those?), and that crazy mane of hair was, well, smothering him. Literally.

Naruto blinked in bewilderment. “Who, the hell are you?”Instead of just answering like a normal person, the stranger grinned devilishly and instantly struck a dramatic pose as he raised his voice so loud Naruto cringed lest the neighbors hear and report him to the landlord. Again.“

I am the man who has no enemies in the North, South, East or West! Not even in the heavens! I am one of the Sannin! The White Haired Frog Tamer! Even a crying baby would--OI!!”

Somewhere in between the kabuki theater poses and whipping his hair around, the increasingly creepy old man had been smacked in the back of his head with a balloon filled with neon orange paint. The room went silent, only the splat, splat, splat, of the dripping paint could be heard.“

Huh,” Naruto murmured as he stepped out of the receding pile of hair and squinted back at the window. “Looks like that trap still needs some fine tuning, the paint should have hit you before the flour.”

The big ninja’s left eye was twitching. Choosing the higher road, the man sighed dejectedly and turned to kick off his geta in the direction of the front door and set his large scroll down, all the while mumbling about disrespectful brats. Naruto giggled a bit at the annoyed visitor, who no longer seemed very threatening with the orange paint in his hair. Plus he hadn’t tried to hurt Naruto yet, or destroy the rest of the apartment, so he didn’t seem too bad so far. He watched the man stick his whole head under the faucet of the sink, grumbling about the bright paint ruining his distinguished look. _Not very intimidating is he?_

“You’re a frog tamer? Are you part of circus or something?” Naruto asked as he moved to reset his window trap, this time double checking the timing on the wire triggers.

“Circus?! I am The Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku! The only entertaining I do is through my world renowned works of literary art, BEHOLD!” The man whipped out several books and thrust them into Naruto’s face as he turned around. The short boy squinted at the titles and scrunched his nose in distaste.

“Ji-rai-ya” he read at the bottom of the cover. “Ugh, you some kind of pervert or something? I’ve seen these books, all the peeping toms I practice my traps on have them, they’re stupid.” Naruto gave the reddening man a flat look and crossed his arms. “You’re just a pervy-sage.”

“Hmph. You’re just too little to appreciate the art that is contained within these pages,” the ninja huffed and plopped down onto one of the cushions by the low table. “This is no way to treat your godfather after everything I’ve done for you.”That got Naruto’s attention.

“Godfather? I have a godfather?” The boy was instantly sitting at Jiraiya’s knee, puppy dog eyes on full blast. “You mean, you’re here to take care of me?”Jiraiya’s heart cracked a little at the desperate desire for affection that swam in those blue eyes. The look was so reminiscent of the one Minato would give him whenever he tried to beg a new jutsu out of Jiraiya, that even the seasoned shinobi couldn’t help but let his annoyance slip away and smile at the beaming boy in front of him. He ruffled the crazy blond hair that practically screamed ‘Namikaze’ and wondered who the hell could ever raise a hand against this child?

“Yes and no, brat. I am a super important Shinobi of Konoha, and I’m rarely ever here, so I can’t live with you.” _That pout should be illegal._ “But when Sarutobi-Sensei told me how the orphanage wasn’t working out, I decided it was high time I stepped up and helped out my one and only godson. So you’re welcome, gaki. That was one hell of a way to show your appreciation,” Jiraiya chuckled despite the scolding of his words and marveled at the way Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. Kami, its like looking at a clone of his father.

Now that he was unmolested, the Sannin took in the tiny apartment. It wasn’t much, but it was close to the Hokage tower and easy to keep under surveillance. Down a short hallway the door to the bedroom was open and he could see the futon had clean blankets, there were a few bags of groceries on the kitchen counter and another door in the back seemed to be the bathroom. He knew there was a second, smaller bedroom at the end of the hallway, Jiraya had insisted on the extra sleeping space for when he came into the village. If he was going to be paying for this place he might as well sleep here too. Plus it would give the kid room for a future library, which Jiraya planned to supply. It was spartan, but it was perfect for one young boy.

Refocusing his attention on the bouncing kid who had began to babble on and on about anything and everything in his life, the older man grinned. He had thought about Minato’s boy quite often while maintaining the web of his spy network, but had trusted the village to take care of the child who had played no small part in saving them all from the rampaging kyuubi. But things hadn’t worked out that way, and when Sarutobi-sensei had notified him of Danzo’s attempt to lure the boy into his “secret foundation”, Jiraiya hadn’t hesitated to step in. Now as he watched Naruto reenact a spar he had with some Hyuga child, Jiraiya’s only regret was not having come back sooner.

“Calm down gaki, you need to take a breath now and again,” he grabbed Naruto’s arm before he nearly collided with the wall while demonstrating his version of the _kaiten_.

“Come here, I have some things I wanted to give you myself before I have to go.” Jiraiya pulled out two books and a brown bag. Naruto grimaced, “Uh, I don’t want any of your pervy books Ero-sennin, Hinata-hime would kill me.”

Jiraiya growled at the demeaning nickname and rolled his eyes, the poor kid was already whipped by some girl. “Like I said, you’re too young for my great art, but these are books that once belonged to your father, and I thought you might like them as well.”Naruto couldn’t tear his eyes away from the two small volumes that were laid on the table before him as he slowly sank down to his knees on the other cushion. His heart was pounding and his palms were starting to sweat.

“You knew my father,” he whispered, and reached out with trembling fingers to trace the kanji of the titles. _Tales of a Gutsy Ninja_ , and _An Introduction to Fuuinjutsu_.

“I cannot tell you much right now, even giving you these books is a bit risky, so keep them to yourself, but he and your mother loved you greatly. They died so that you could live to become a strong shinobi like them, who would safeguard the village they loved. They entrusted you to me and Sarutobi-sensei, and I’m sorry that we have not been able to shield you from all the hate that is out there. I wish I could stay, but I have a job that is pertinent to the protection of the village as well. So I have this to give you in the mean time,” Jiraiya pushed the brown paper bag towards the shell shocked boy, who reached for it robotically. Small hands pulled out a bright green wallet shaped like a frog. Opening it’s wide mouthlike clasp to look inside Naruto’s eyes bulged “I’m rich!” he gasped in awe.

The Sannin barked out a loud laugh at the overreaction to the modest sum he had given the boy. It was enough for a month’s worth of food, and a bit extra for some new clothes and school supplies. “Don’t spend it all in one place, brat. That stuff doesn’t grow on trees. And once you become a genin you can start buying some of your own things, got it? Maybe that girlfriend of yours can help you find some decent clothes for the academy. It starts next week right?”

Jiraiya paused and his brow furrowed. Naruto was still staring down at the table where the gifts rested, bangs hanging over his eyes, and sniffles were starting to punctuate his breaths. Perhaps he had revealed too much? Maybe it would have been better to leave the young child unaware of what he was missing, sparing him the hurt of realizing how much he had lost? But life had dealt so harshly with kid already, surely some small bit of parental affection, even if given posthumusly, was deserved?

Jiraiya was scratching his chin in thought when Naruto suddenly glomped the hardened shinobi in a hug that was unexpectedly strong for his small size.“Thank you Ero-sennin!” tears dampened the front of his red haori from where the muffled declaration emerged. “I promise, I’ll do my best, and never give up, and become Hokage someday and make you and my parents super proud, dattebayo!”

Jiraiya was startled by the unexpected embrace and more so by the verbal tic. Apparently he has some of Kushina in him as well. Patting the boy on the back a few times he then gently set him on his feet and moved to stand as well.

“You better brat!” He couldn’t resist mussing up that crazy mop of hair one more time, and smirked when Naruto tried to wipe his eyes and bat away the large hand at the same time. “Because I’d hate to hear that my godson was some sort of rebellious prankster instead of an unshakable shinobi.” The boy had the decency to blush at the gentle reprimand. Jiraiya laughed easily as he started to head for the window, paused, and turned to exit through the front door instead. _Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!_

 _“_ I have to get to the bath house before they close,” he said over his shoulder as he unlocked the door, “maybe I can do a little research. Take it easy brat, and try to stay out of tro--”

Jiraiya’s words faded as he swung the door open to see the scrawling graffiti that said "demon spawn must die” in dripping red paint down the front of the wooden panels. Quickly shifting his body so that the threatening message was blocked from the boy’s eyes, the Sannin lowered his voice to a serious tone.

“Naruto, always keep this locked no matter what. And double check your traps before you go to sleep, understand?” The boy wilted a little but set his mouth in a show of forced bravery while hugging his books and giving a small nod.

Shutting the door firmly behind him, Jiraiya used a quick water jutsu to erase the malicious message before jumping across a few rooftops to where he saw a familiar pug.

“Did he see them?” he addressed the canine as he landed in a crouch.

“Hai, Kakashi is taking care of them now.”

Jiraiya grunted in approval before reaching into his pack and tossing the dog a small piece of jerky. The ninken woofed a quick thanks and the Sannin tensed to leap away towards the direction of the bathhouses. Sarutobi-sensei had mentioned that he had officially pulled the Copy Ninja from his suicidal stint in ANBU, using the excuse that he was in need of jonin sensei for genin teams as a cover for Kakashi to be in the village more often and help watch out for Naruto. He knew the Hokage was trying to do his best to ensure the boy was taken care of, while at the same time not drawing too much attention to him. But humans could be quite cruel to their fellow man, and in a ninja village, one could never be too careful.

“Tell Kakashi that if he ever needs any assistance, I would be more than happy lend a hand, or send a toad or two in my place.” Not waiting for an answer, the Legendary Sannin pushed chakra to his legs and turned his thoughts back to the sensual promises of the bathhouse and all the glorious potential research it contained.

* * *

Sasuke glared out the window, wishing he was allowed to practice his fire jutsu on the crowd of fawning girls that were swarming around him like a pack of hungry wolves. Two banshees in particular seemed to be having an epic falling out over the ridiculous prize of who would get to sit by him. He hoped if they escalated to point of ripping out each other’s pink and blond hair, he would be forgiven for taking some _aggressively_ evasive maneuvers.

He did not have time for their crap. He didn’t have time for any of this bullshit. Everyday that passed with Itachi freely walking the earth was a blasphemy upon his honor as an Uchiha. He would never forgive his brother for all the blood that he had spilled. And he would never forget those final words.

“ _Foolish little brother. Behold, the work of a genius. Witness the repercussions that power has brought upon our mighty clan. See what my wrath can accomplish. Do you want to kill me? I dare you. I dare you to even try. To bring yourself to hate me more than I hate the Uchiha. None of them compare to me, as I have proven on this, their judgment day. So come at me. Do your worst. Let us weigh ourselves on the scales of justice and see which is left wanting. Show me how well you can aspire to be my shadow. Bring the best of Konoha to join you and rise up against me. And on that day we will fight, and truly test our abilities.”_

At the time, Sasuke had been too petrified to do more than stare in horror as his older brother’s sharp eyes started to swirl, spinning beyond the familiar three tomoe of the clan bloodline to an unrecognizable pattern. With heavy footsteps that left bloody tracks in his wake, the scarily young murderer had smoothly wiped the bodily fluids of their family from his sword in a long swipe across the thigh of his pants. Kneeling before him in a way that blocked the view of the lifeless bodies of his parents, black eyes locked onto red, and Sasuke knew no more.

The Yamanaka that had visited him the next day in the hospital had told Sasuke he was lucky, that the jutsu used on him had the potential to leave him comatose for weeks and tortured for a lifetime. Instead, all that the newly orphaned Uchiha was left with, was the echo of That Man’s words, and the infuriating blackness of a missing memory. There was nothing lucky about a massacre. They didn’t understand.

The ache of the loss was visceral, constant, and elusive. First he had tried to just shut the world out, curl up and die in hopes of rejoining his family. But Itachi’s words were like an indelible curse, ever reverberating in his mind. Taunting him. Haunting him. Sasuke would not find rest until he had avenged his people.

So he started to train.

With access to the entirety of the cumulative jutsu, weapons, and library of generations of Uchiha Shinobi, Sasuke had been completely overwhelmed. But he refused to admit even the slightest defeat, refused to ask for help, to show anything that could be seen as weakness when it came to proving his worth as the future Avenger of the Uchiha.

As time passed, he bore his moniker “The Last Uchiha” with the same bitter pride that came to be his constant, and only, companion. But as long as That Man drew breath, he would push himself to make it true. With his entrance into the academy, he was prepared to take his next step in achieving his ultimate goal.

And these stupid bitches were soooooo throwing off his groove.

He had been trying really hard not to pay attention to their intense squabbling, but it appeared that the pink haired one had bested the rest of the rabid hoard and settled herself into the seat next to him. He swore he could feel her shooting hearts at the back of his head with her eyes. _Ugh_.

Thank Kami the teacher strode into the classroom at this moment and started introducing himself and launching into a well rehearsed spiel on what it meant to be a shinobi. Sasuke tuned out, not caring about anything but his own reasons for pursuing the life of a ninja, when suddenly the window next to him burst open and he was sprawling across the floor in a tangle of screaming orange and yellow appendages.

Sucking air into smashed lungs, Sasuke gave the perpetrator his deadliest glare as the new boy bounced up to his feet and casually reached out a hand as if high impact collisions from death defying heights was a daily occurrence in his life.

“Sorry 'bout that! I misjudged the window a bit, heh heh. Need a hand up?” A whisker framed smile that was so big it caused the kid’s eyes to squint shut was the blond’s unfazed response to Sasuke’s attempt at frying him where he stood with an dirty scowl. He angrily ignored the offer of assistance and got to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster.

“Naruto! You’re late! Get in a seat and so help me if you disrupt this class again I’ll have you cleaning the chalkboard all through lunch!” Apparently the teacher was familiar with the troublemaker already.

Pouting at being rebuked by the words of the instructor and the actions of the Uchiha, Naruto tried to salvage a bit of the awkward situation when he turned back to the unintentional victim of his abrupt entrance and said, “Um, you ok? No hard feelings, it was an accident, dattebayo.”

Sasuke glanced impassively over his shoulder as he went back to his seat next to the furious pink haired girl who looked ready to eat his assailant alive. In a dismissively flat tone he answered, “Whatever...dobe.”

“OI!!! That’s not my name bastard! I told you I was sorr--”

“Naruto-kun!” The familiar voice had him stopping mid sentence and whipping his head up to the back row where a small girl in a puffy jacket was timidly waving at him to come sit down. Completely forgetting his righteous indignation the boy bounced back to the blushing girl’s side and happily slid into the seat next to her, flashing her a contrite smile while rubbing the back of his head.

The young chunin who was attempting to establish himself as a respectable educator of young minds, sighed and asked Kami again why karma was so cruel as to give him the village’s unpredictable prankster who contained the demonic bane of all human existence within him as a student. He would have to add sake to his shopping list. Lots, and lots, of sake.

“Alright, as I was saying, My name is Umino Iruka and I will be your shinobi academy sensei...”

* * *

The council meeting had just ended and the last clan head filed out, but Hiruzen’s advisors remained rooted to their seats. Obviously they had something weighing in their minds.

“Don’t keep an old man waiting. Homura has a curfew these days I’m sure,” the Hokage joked as he settled once more onto his chair, so much for making it home at a decent hour tonight.

“Hiruzen, we have serious matters to discuss,” his former teammate leveled a look at the old shinobi that clearly said he was not in the mood for light banter. “Off the record.”

Barely restraining from rolling his eyes at the perpetual killjoy, _the guy is almost worse than Danzo these days_ , Hiruzen pulled his pipe out and began to pack it with sweet tobacco. “I’m listening.”

“The boy is getting older. He needs more than just the academy to train him properly for his purpose.” The advisor adjusted his glasses with a stern look, his constant intensity made even his valid points seem somewhat overdramatic in Hiruzen’s eyes. _This again_ , he sighs internally. How many times must they debate this?

“I agree, but I will not hand him over to Danzo and his ROOT, which I am still curious as to how you secure your funding, Shimura?” The Hokage had begun to suspect that it was not only ‘training’ that he conducted from the shadows. “You saw what he did to Itachi, and the boy wasn’t even part of his program. And as a result we have nearly lost an entire clan because of his war-minded planning. There are other ways...”

“For one so concerned with avoiding fighting, you were quick to create a conflict by removing the civilian council, a non shinobi group, from our governing,” the old war hawk cut in, obviously still annoyed at losing is playing chips.The shallow accusation was a weak argument, meant only to belittle the Hokage and his decisions, while attempting to reestablish the mummified rival’s own sense of control which he desperately seemed to need for his own ego’s fulfillment.

“Have a little faith in your Hokage, old friend,” Hiruzen tried to cajole the glaring man, and the others as well. “I am not as shortsighted as I may seem. Be patient with an old man. Perhaps my wisdom has yet to fully unfold? Tobirama-sensei did choose me for a reason, and I promise you, everyday I look at his portrait hanging in my office, along with those of the other Hokages who have died before me, and consider what they would think if they saw the village now.”

“And banishing half of the council wasn’t solely to just help you sleep at night?” Koharu cut in. She did not always appreciate change, even if it held the promise of better days ahead. The drastic move Hiruzen had made rattled her, and she did not enjoy the feeling.

“Do not be so two faced,” he half growled, starting to lose his patience and abandoning any attempts at keeping the tone of the conversation light. “All of you were guilty of manipulating them like puppets behind the scenes. By providing them with a committee away from us and our motives, they have gained more independence than ever over their own decisions and concerns. My lack of paperwork is just a bonus. The civilians and the shinobi are intrinsically symbiotic at this moment in time. And I believe we each will progress further by having a separation of ninja and state.”

The two elders shot Danzō a look, urging him with their eyes to back them up. Without acknowledging them, he did speak, “Their motives aside, the civilians were not wrong about the issue regarding the boy. He needs special treatment. I can provide—“

“Last I checked the boy was doing just fine. You are aware that he does have godfather, correct? Perhaps you would like to take up your request with him? I’m sure he would love to sit down and chat with you.” Hiruzen covered his smirk by biting down on the stem of pipe and inhaling deeply. It was no secret that Jiraiya hated the Old War Hawk’s guts. It was a decades old grudge that started with a suspiciously close partnership between Danzo and the now missing nin and Sannin, Orochimaru. To this day, the Toad Sage would refuse to be in the same room as Danzo, and purposefully created his spy network to function completely separate from the man’s underground dealings, while keeping a watchful eye on his movements.

Danzō gripped his cane tighter and Homura quickly intervened to keep the situation under control. Seeing that the current method of attack was going no where, he tried to redirect the conversation.

“Saru,” the use of the old nickname was meant to smooth any overly ruffled feathers, “you cannot just make these decisions that involve the whole village on a whim, they take careful consideration. Just think, without the support of the civilians, our funding for missions will disappear! The latest request from the new civilian committee is to reestablish the police force. _Themselves!_ Who will hire us?” The poorly hidden smug smile on the man’s face was not fooling the Hokage, and his annoyance began to shift to frank frustration.

“Where have you been for the last 30 years! Of course I think! I am not called The Professor for nothing. You are the ones who cannot read the situation clearly. We are the only hidden village in the Land of Fire. I highly doubt the Daimyo, greedy bastard that he can be, will be accepting of people hiring ninja of other villages to do the work of his own people. Our costs are not exorbitant, and we are not so hidden that our own countrymen cannot gain access to us. The separation of civilian and ninja councils that can coexist alongside one another, will allow each entity to more clearly focus on issues within their own realms. The police force was originally the brainchild of Tobirama-sensei himself, unless you have forgotten. His hope was that it would make the Uchiha feel more involved in the running of the village and tending to its needs. I see no reason why this could not be the case with the civilians as well. After all, they harbor no delusions of grandeur such as the ones that seemed to thrive amongst the clan leaders of the Uchiha, only a misguided sense of self preservation that focused around an innocent child as the scapegoat. The split between our groups was bound to happen. The issue of Naruto was simply the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

“But what if they raise taxes out of spite?” Koharu snapped, unwilling to cede her point despite his lengthy rebuttal.

Hiruzen waved his pipe in the air with exasperation. “Should it come to such petty behavior then we can raise our mission prices. It is called inflation. It is an unfortunate economic norm amongst most developing countries.” _Can we just end this already?_ he brooded internally.

“What about the hospital and the academy? They are supported by civilian taxes as well as mission earnings,” Homura refused to back down.They were grasping at straws now with the issue, and Hiruzen pushed back.

“This is because both institutions serve shinobi and civilians alike! As veterans the shinobi will continue to receive their medical treatments for free. The civilians already have a choice to send their children to the ninja academy or the mainstream education system. The same goes for any of the children of shinobi who chose not to pursue the life of a ninja. Besides, most clans educate their children at home in their family’s techniques well before they reach the academy. The ninja academy is simply a place that offers us a way to ensure equal opportunity to those not receiving extra tutelage, and also evaluate each child’s true readiness for the harsh realities of being a ninja. The Daimyo’s father himself signed an agreement with Tobirama-sensei to support the academy and ensure the high quality of shinobi protecting his realm.”

“Hiruzen,” Koharu implored, finally saying the words that had been robbing her of sleep, “The numbers will drop! What will happen if they cease to require our services altogether? The entire shinobi way of life will cease to exist!” The dramatic declaration only underlined the mountain that she had made out of a molehill.

Hiruzen would not allow himself to face palm. He would not. He was the Hokage damnit.

“Then our people will bend their swords onto plowshares and finally live in peace. The day to day existence of killing, fighting and war is perpetuated upon our children by our very own machinations. The first, second, third great ninja wars, who started them? Civilians? No, it was us! And the civilians were the ones caught in our crosshairs. Have you forgotten the reason behind the creation of the hidden villages? Sensei and his brother wanted to _end the fighting._ ”

Danzō had heard enough, he leaned forward to planted his cane on the floor before angrily rising to his feet. Using his height to loom intimidatingly over his rival, he spoke his own predictions.“Your designs for peace will be our downfall, Hiruzen. There is no such thing as utopia in this world. There will always be a need for shinobi. And what will happen in that hour of need, when we are not there?”

The Professor chuckles softly, some things would never change. “Yes, unfortunately you are correct. But have faith in our children, old friend. The Will of Fire is about protection, not power. Cooperation, not control. Quality, not quantity. That will be the shinobi of the future, one who can see past the flashy jutsu, past revenge, past greed, and use their strength to foster bonds that protect and connect instead of tear apart. Children like Naruto-kun, who you would argue should be locked down within the village and trained as weapon of mass destruction. I refuse to have him be some sort of “red button” that can be launched at will. He is a human, with an inner strength beyond that of the demon he carries.”

Looking at the faces of his teammates, his advisors, Hiruzen recalls the conversation he had with Jiraiya, when his former student told him about the Great Toad’s vision of the Child of Prophecy. The two men had been in complete agreement that the uniquely gifted and supremely unpredictable boy, who could see people for what they were and face down hatred with a smiling force of will that was unshakable, had more than enough potential to fulfill the divine revelation.

With Danzo’s seething silent departure from the informal meeting, the other two take their leave as well. But compared to his brooding anger, they carry more a feeling of frustration, and if they dared admit, admiration for their old comrade and the stubborn way he clung to his ideals.

Watching the door finally close behind them, Hiruzen sags into his chair and takes a long pull from his pipe. Perhaps he should send that Nara Shikaku a box of tobacco as thank you for his “trouble” in hounding out the details for the constitution that outlined the division of ninja and state. The man was lazy as hell, but a clearly logical thinker with no hidden agendas.

A Hokage was entitled to seek opinions outside of the advisors, was he not? For indeed, an intelligent man knew when he needed help, and a truely wise man, knew who to ask.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Chapter 10

His normally silent footsteps nearly pounded down the long hallway as he charged towards the far wing of the compound where his wife lay in confinement. A few Branch servants barely darted out of his path before being overrun. His focus was on one thing and one thing only: his son.

Ane-sama had been laboring for nearly two days. The strain of the intense anticipation was rattling even to his own facade of calm. Hiashi never approached the domain of the midwife and her assistants, but his pacing had brought him close on multiple occasions, always listening for that certain sound of a high pitched cry. The Clan Head's paperwork had suffered, even his brother had dared to smirk at the dark circles under his silver eyes that revealed how the stress had robbed him of sleep. It was nigh impossible to be calm, he had been dreaming of this day for years...

The recent crescendo of screams had him tapping his foot in a disgraceful show of anxiety. He knew it meant the time was near. He dared not activate his bloodline, no matter how temping the idea. Hiashi had no wish to become intimate with the matter of birth itself, but he had been lurking within earshot for what felt like hours.

Activity in the vicinity of the birthing room had suddenly increased, the cries had changed pitch from shouts of anguish to the squalls of an infant, and instantly his feet were carrying him down the corridor before he could stop himself. He had waited so long. And finally...

Bursting through the sliding door before anyone could announce his presence, he was greeted by a startled midwife and her assistant, the latter of which held a thrashing bundle of blood stained cloth. Hiashi ignored the frown on the face of the midwife who was firmly massaging his wife's abdomen as she moaned, and made a bee line for the baby.

"Let me see him," the father demanded, barely restrained eagerness pulsing through his body.

The assistant blanched and glanced at the midwife, her mouth opening and closing like a koi fish as she hesitantly peeled open the soiled linens.

The lusty cry of a perfectly healthy, and loud, baby girl greeted him.

Hiashi stared in dismay at the brown haired infant, disappointment coursing through him so keenly he could taste the bitterness of it. _Again? Why?_

His shocked gaze fell to his wife. She had sat up as best she could, despite obviously being exhausted. Her hair was in disarray and her pearly eyes were glazed over and red, giving her a slightly crazed look. For the first time that he could remember since meeting her, she looked remorseful, and perhaps a bit frightened.

"The next one will be a boy, Husband," she croaked through chapped lips. "I have delivered one healthy babe, I can do it again."

Hiashi's mouth was pressed into a thin line, fists clenching and unclenching at his side with the effort of suppressing his drumming vexation. He drew closer, standing at the foot of Ane-sama's bed, studying her clammy face and wide eyes that fully revealed the depth of her fear as she fixated on him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the midwife move towards him with displeasure emanating from her stiff posture. His nostrils flared as he exhaled sharply and forced his perpetual mask of detached aloofness into place.

Ane saw him emotionally withdraw from her and panic coursed through her wracked body like a shot of adrenaline. She had failed him, and the idea of his rejection and its consequences were terrifying. She started to crawl towards him on shaky limbs as he began to back away from the bed, but the midwife grabbed her arm and firmly pushed her down onto the pillows, scolding her in harsh whispers. She ignored the old woman, smacking away her hands and pinned the Clan Head with a penetrating silver gaze that was alarming in its intensity.

"Do not give up on me," she begged him. "I am strong. Our love with be fulfilled, I will not disappoint you Hiashi-sama." The sweat of her efforts still clung to her, her cheeks were flushed, and her hands fisted the sheets with a white knuckled grip. She looked spent, she looked unbalanced, she looked...young. We still have time, the Clan Head realized internally, and bestowed a solemn nod on his frantic wife.

"Rest yourself, Wife. You need it." Without waiting for any further response, Hiashi turned to leave, sparing a glance back towards the baby who was now neatly reswaddled in a clean blanket and bouncing in the Branch girl's arms, blinking slowly at her surroundings with the same pearly eyes of her mother.

"Do you wish to hold her, Hiashi-sama?" the assistant asked in a timid voice, turning the infant out towards him.

He flicked his cold silver gaze at the woman, before turning abruptly and exiting the room without uttering another word.

The midwife narrowed her eyes after his departing form, boring holes into his back. Seeing to it that the baby was handed over to its mother, who was reluctantly attempting to allow the baby to latch onto her breast, the keen old woman grabbed her haori, and slipped out of the room and into the shadowed corridor.

Dim candlelight and the heavy smoke of many a lit pipe greeted her as she entered the council chambers to see a few of the Elders still awaiting news of the new heir even at the late hour. She immediately spotted the former Clan Head, Hiroto-sama, seated next to Ane-sama's father at the far end of the table, and met his clear, sharp gaze with her own.

The room quickly hushed with her entrance and she did not wait for an invitation to speak.

"Ane-sama and her daughter are healthy and recovering well." Her low gravelly voice carried easily throughout the room, hushed murmurs rippled around the group.

The Hyuga patriarch at the head of the table flicked his eyes at Ane-sama's father just in time to see his knuckles turn white around his pipe. "And Hiashi-dono?" Hiroto asked, carefully studying the midwife's face.

The shrewd old woman looked him in the eye with an audacity that few Branch members dared display to any member of the Main House. With a boldness born of experience, and a white eye that flashed with the wisdom of her cumulative years, she did not mask her feelings. Pursing her lips in a way that accentuated the lines around her mouth, she delivered her next words with thinly veiled disgust, "he is aware."

The old man's silver gaze hardened to steel. "I see." Hiroto's eyes closed as he pondered for the millionth time, the plans of Kami in this world. The fancies of the gods seemed to have found quite the entertainment within his family, always mocking the best laid plans of men. He opened his eyes slightly, focusing on the glow of a nearby candle as it danced merrily with the chilly winter breeze creeping in from the open window. The flame was contained, but undulated unpredictably upon its wick.

An unpredictable flame could easily become a fire. Putting out fires before they blazed out of control was always preferable. But if the smolder had begun years before, and was only now starting to show signs of smoke, how drastic was the damage yet hidden? Without lifting his gaze from the taunting flame Hiroto asked, "What is her name?"

"She calls her, Hanabi. Perhaps if you see him, you can inform the baby's father. He did not bother to ask." The crease between the grandfather's brows deepened, but he nodded his thanks to the midwife. She bowed to him, pleased at his grasp of the situation, and took her leave to tend to her patient.

Curiosity satisfied, the small group of elders slowly began to wander out of the council chambers for the night. Hiroto observed Ane-sama's father wipe nervous sweat from his temples as he disappeared into the night.

The aging former Clan Head continued his inner contemplations as he slowly made his way out into the night as well. His cane tapped with each silent step as he strode along the outer walkways, allowing the cool night air to sift through his robes and blow long white hair away from his face.

Giving up his position as Leader of the Hyuga had been a difficult decision, relinquishing control was never easy for him. Controlling fate was the highest aspiration of any Hyuga, and as the Head of the Clan who held the authority to sway even the most obstinate council elders, Hiroto had tried his best to force destiny to bend to his will. Perhaps it was this determined pursuit of power, attempting to rob the gods of their jurisdiction, that had offended them so greatly?

Hiroto had felt certain that his son Hiashi would be a comparable, or even superior clan head to himself. The fact that the boy was forever competing with his own twin and genetic equal had driven his son to achieve more notoriety at a younger age than any previous heir. The Hyuga were not known for having low expectations, and yet Hiashi blew them all away. He was stronger, smarter, faster, and more cunning than any of his peers, save perhaps only his brother.

Equally impressive was the way that Hizashi had refused to bow to the favored son, never allowing him any easy victories and pushing back against his every gain. The two boys had sharpened each other like steel on steel, and Hiroto had felt content knowing that the future of both branches of the Hyuga were in their qualified hands.

But lately that peace of mind was troubled.

Ever since the tragedy with Hitomi, Hiashi had seemed increasingly unbalanced. Compounding an already delicate situation was the new wife's immature handling of her role, which paled in comparison to the way in which Hitomi had smoothly maintained the fealty of Branch and Main Hyuga with her peaceful personality and acts of compassion. Hiashi may have viewed her chosen methods as ignoble for The Honorable Wife, but age had granted the retired Clan Head a perspective that made the wisdom of her delicate approach obvious. The Branch members had adored her, and that had lead to a loyalty based on respect instead of fear. For all his skill in maneuvering the larger political aspirations of the finicky Elder Council and the Hyuga Clan in general via his attempts to raise the clan up the rungs of influence in the The Land of Fire, Hiashi was flirting with the dangerous possibility of losing the support beneath his very feet. Worse still, was his refusal to admit that he was capable of making a faulty decision. Hiroto had gone to his son in private to try and help him see reason, but Hiashi's ego and single minded obsession with his "legacy" had rendered the attempt at advice pointless.

Rounding a corner as he approached the door to his chambers, his cane stopped tapping and Hiroto paused with his hand on the wooden panel. He turned his head slightly, the scarcely visible form of a man stood motionless under the roof's shadow. Unworried by the presence, he did not activate his Byakugan, for he would know this man in any light, and his purpose for the private visit was easy to guess.

"They both are fine Hizashi. It is a girl, Hanabi-sama."

The figure stepped a bit closer, allowing the moonlight to catch his sharp profile and he closely studied the face of his father. The Branch House leader had learned the unteachable art of interpreting other people's thoughts by simply taking the time to see them, instead of always worrying about how he appeared in their eyes. It was a shame Hiashi had never bothered to see anyone but himself.

"I am relieved to hear they are doing well," Hizashi answered with as much sincerity as he could. He crossed his arms and frowned, then nodded imperceptibly as he decided to confide his concerns in his father. "I fear what the disappointment may do to Hiashi. He has made no secret of his expectations, and with his erratic behavior over the last few months, the Branch House is increasingly dubious of his leadership."

Hiroto did not scold the Branch Head for doubting the ability of the Main Head to react appropriately to the birth of a perfectly healthy child, for he shared the uncertainty himself.

"Hn." Gnarled fingers came up to comb his white beard, the only tell the man ever allowed of his agitated mind. "Give him time. Ane-sama is young. Very young," a small crease between his eyebrows appeared, further revealing his inner displeasure with the immature wife. "If she manages to produce a male heir, he may cease this obsessive behavior and again focus on more pertinent priorities."

"And in the mean time he will be permitted to continue discarding his children like useless toys that no longer suit his fancy," the bitter tone of the words was hard for the son to disguise and harder for the father to rebuke. It was a problem with no immediate solution. The men could only wait and watch, hoping they would not have to orchestrate a humiliating family intervention.

The comment had reminded Hiroto of a piece of information regarding his son's discarded progeny that had recently come to his attention. Choosing to redirect the futile conversation, he watched Hizashi carefully as he made his next statement. "I saw Hinata-chan returning with Neji-kun the other day, is it true she is attending the academy this year?" The smirk on Hizashi's face perplexed the father, but not as much as his son's next words.

"It would be negligent of me to leave such a talented Byakugan untrained."

Hiroto's eyes widened slightly at the surprising revelation. The girl was apparently stronger than he ever would have given her credit. Perhaps the gentle nature and grace inherited from her mother, was not the only genetic gift bestowed upon her by a parent? To have cast the poor child aside without even knowing her full potential was unforgivable as a leader and as a parent. It gave Hiroto yet another twinge of regret, wondering if he too had made a premature judgment with that fateful decision so many years ago in the days of is youth. _If I could go back to that night, would I trust fate, or would I do it again?_

Hindsight was 20/20, and regret paved the path to nowhere. The future of the Hyuga was what concerned the old man now. Contemplating the wisdom of his past decisions was only useful to prevent the same mistakes from repeating themselves. Hiashi obviously felt that Hinata was a mistake, a useless pawn for his strategies and purposes. But if he only could see her, see the phoenix rising from the ashes, he would know how very wrong he had been. Hiroto had taken the time to do exactly this, and had come to his own conclusions. Leveling a sharp gaze upon the face of his perceptive son, Hiroto raised a silver eyebrow and cast his bait, "She is her father's daughter."

Hizashi stared back unflinchingly into his father's discerning eyes. Immediately seeing the question hidden within the statement. There was no devious intent in the clear white orbs, and the wrinkles around his mouth hinted at a small smile. Hizashi exhaled slowly and closed his eyes, allowing an expression of uninhibited of pride shine from his features, reminding Hiroto of how he used to look whenever he had bested his brother as children.

"Yes. It would seem she is, and I am immeasurably proud of her."

Hiroto observed his son for a beat, taking in the aura of humble pleasure that a parent always radiates when their child is praised. Satisfied, he grunts his acknowledgment, before resting a hand on Hizashi's shoulder. As he passed through the doorway into his quarters, the father said in a tone just loud enough for the words to reach his son's ears, "well done."

* * *

Naruto sat with Hinata near the edge of the schoolyard. They had just finished eating and he was carefully wrapping her hands for the afternoon sparring session. It had become their little tradition. She would always bring him lunch and he would wrap her hands, gently weaving the sturdy fabric across her palms and around her fingers. She had long since ceased trying to tell him not to bother by arguing that she would never build up the callouses needed to protect her hands if she didn't rough them up. Naruto had smiled at her and said it just didn't feel right to let her fight without making sure she was all prepared. Hinata had a feeling it just made him feel better. The way Neji had slightly smiled with approval when he saw Naruto's daily ministrations from across the schoolyard had made her roll her eyes at how overprotective the boys could be. She was the top kunoichi when it came to Taijutsu after all, and she could even hold her own against some of the boys.

"Do you know who you'll be facing today?" Naruto asked her as he tied off her last bandage and gave her hand two quick pats.

Standing up, she interlaced her fingers and pressed her palms outward, stretching her arms up to the sky and back as far as she could go. Hinata had discovered that she was unusually flexible, even compared to the other kunoichi in her class. So far this had yet to truly play into an advantage of any kind, but she wasn't willing to give up the idea that she could use it somehow. She just had to find the right jutsu.

"Mmm, Sakura-chan I think," she said, and widened her stance with one foot in front of the other to continue stretching her legs.

"Ha! Piece of cake." Naruto laughed, grabbing his own elbow and pulling it behind his head.

Hinata hummed but did not flat out agree, not being one for smack talk. "She would improve much faster if she focused on her katas as much as she did on Sasuke-kun," she mumbled. "Sometimes I almost wish she and Ino-chan would fight until they refuse to speak to one another, it makes class much more bearable." Hinata had found it extremely frustrating how little energy the girls had put into their work. They had no idea what it was like to have to fight for an opportunity like the one they had been given. Ino-chan was practically a shoo in for genin being the Yamanaka heir, and Sakura-chan never so much as had to ask twice for anything from her parents. But Hinata refused to allow her jealously to fester, and recently had found a way to turn the situation to her own benefit, as well as theirs.

"Yesterday I may have mentioned that you overheard Sasuke-kun talking about how much he respected an intelligent woman, while accidentally allowing my test score to slide off my desk to the floor beneath Sakura-chan's chair," Hinata giggled as she reached one arm down in a triangle pose that the kunoichi sensei who taught yoga had shown them earlier that year. Naruto snorted derisively before switching arms to grab his opposite elbow. "I can't believe that worked. Just the idea of me and that Teme having a civil conversation is ridiculous."

Hinata gracefully straightened up and shrugged. "Anything that has to do with Sasuke-kun gets their attention. Add in an element of competition and they are unstoppable." Adjusting her feet she prepared for her next stretch, reaching out to Naruto as he frowned and shuffled towards her.

"Do you have to keep calling him that?" Naruto grumbled, grabbing her right hand without being asked and pulling it back as Hinata twisted into a deep torso stretch with his assistance. "It's polite," she chides him teasingly. Naruto sticks out his tongue and blows a raspberry at the idea of the Teme being deserving of any proper manners. "It's not like he ever bothers to return the favor," he retorts, they both know how rude the antisocial boy can be to his peers and even his instructors.

Hinata rolls her eyes as she comes back to center. "Not all of us are blessed with such unusual creativity as you when it comes to handing out nicknames, Naruto-kun." She still couldn't believe he called the Hokage his Jiji, and Jiraiya the Sannin a Pervy Sage. Ane-sama had nearly blinded the last Branch maid who had forgotten to address the newborn heiress as "Hanabi- _sama_ " when offering to change the child's pants. The audacious blond boy grabbed her left hand and pulled it back as she twisted the opposite way. "It is one of my many gifts," he grins at her like a mischievous fox.

"Just one huh? Does that mean you finished that fuuinjutsu book? Are you a seal master now?" Hinata enjoys the look of glee that brightens Naruto's entire demeanor whenever she mentions his father's books. Just as she had confided her parental secrets in him, he had not hesitated to share with her the discovery of a piece of his own heritage. In truth he had nearly been bursting with it and was likely to lose his mind if he didn't tell someone. The fact that she had been his chosen confidant had made her heart flutter with delight.

"Oh its only a matter of time, believe you me," Naruto arrogantly declared and the pair assumed the first position of their warm up katas. "But for now, lets just say I have a few trials to conduct." That got Hinata's attention, her unpredictable friend was always walking a fine line between brilliance and disaster when it came to his 'ideas'.

"Naruto-kun," she said nervously, darting her eyes around to make sure no one was within ear shot. "You're not planning on testing out those explosive tags on our classmates are you? Remember what happened the last time you pulled a prank?" The girl imploringly raised her eyebrows in an attempt to convey the seriousness of her warning.

Naruto waved off the caution much too casually for her comfort. "That wasn't a prank, it was just a misunderstanding, I was trying to do Sensei a favor by cleaning the chalkboard all in one go. I didn't mean to flood the classroom. In the middle of lecture. And force us to do sparring exercises outside the rest of the day...total coincidence." His act of mock innocence was only missing a crooked halo and wings. "But no, our classmates are safe. I got my sights set on the peeping toms that hang out down by the bathhouse." Hinata didn't know whether to be proud or petrified of the way the boy switched from cherub to imp at the drop of a dime.

Just then a biting wind kicked up and whipped the coat around her body and nearly tore the scarf from Naruto's neck. A late winter storm had been threatening all week and it seemed like the gathering dark clouds were ready to empty their contents as soon as the sun made its exit for the day. Hinata snatched the flailing red tail and carefully wound it back into place around Naruto, firmly tucking the end into the collar of his jacket. The yarn had lost some of its soft texture over the last year, but remained a vibrant red. "I should knit you a new one," she murmured thoughtfully, but Naruto backed away from her grasping the precious gift protectively. "No way! I like this one just fine. Besides, its my turn to give you something this time."

Hinata blinked in surprise as the blond started rummaging through his pockets, finally pulling out a piece of paper triumphantly from his hip pouch. He extended the neatly scribed storage seal out to her, but just before she grasped it he snatched it back, meeting her confused eyes with a scolding blue glare. "I almost decided not to give it to you, I still can't believe you didn't tell me it was your birthday a whole month ago." Hinata shrugged her shoulders up to her ears in chagrin, poking her fingertips together in an almost forgotten habit. "It wasn't that big of a deal. You didn't tell me you had a birthday either."

"That was different," Naruto sighed, an anguished expression crossing his features. "My birthday is...complicated." Immediately shaking the gloom off his face, he thrust his hand out once more. "I made the seal myself! I hope you like what is in it!"

Hinata blushed, tucking her face down into her own high collar so he wouldn't notice, and channeled chakra into her hand. Passing her fingers over the intricate seal she gasped and nearly fell over when a large rolled up mat popped into existence in her arms. "Oh!" she squealed, allowing the thick springy foam to unravel on the ground. "A mat for my yoga practice! Its perfect! Thank you Naruto-kun."

The blond smugly ran a finger under his nose with poorly hidden pride. "Yeah, Ero-sennin told me it was stupid. He said that I was supposed to get you flowers and chocolate and stuff. But what fun is that? I know you have been pushing yourself with the whole flexibility yoga thing, so I figured this would be useful so that you don't have to roll around on the hard ground when you practice!"

Hinata nodded happily as she ran her fingers over the rich purple colored mat. She loved that he knew her so well as to think of a present that spoiled her as well as aided in her ever present drive to make herself a stronger kunoichi.

"But just to be safe, I got you these too." Reaching into his other pocket Naruto pulled out one more storage seal, and swiped his hand over it. A brown paper bag with the unmistakable aroma of warm cinnamon wafting upwards to Hinata's nose had her mouth instantly watering. Her round pale eyes widened in mild shock and she involuntarily mumbled, "I think I'm in love."

"Say what?"

"Uhhh, I love it! The gifts, all of it! Its all so thoughtful! Thank you!" Hinata busied herself with rolling up the mat, keeping her head down to hide her flaming face and the slip of her tongue. _Where did that come from?_

The two friends happily snacked on the sticky treats until Iruka-sensei appeared and announced the beginning of the afternoon sparring session. Hinata waved at Naruto as he followed the rest of the boys over to the field on the north side of the academy grounds where they would be meeting a guest instructor for the day.

Even at this distance he could see a bright green spandex clad bellowing ninja that was upside down and boisterously greeting the academy students and jumping back and forth from one hand to another while juggling barbells through the air with his feet. Trying not to allow the obscenely snug outfit to ruin his lunch, Naruto looked anywhere but directly at the man shamelessly parading in front of them. Hesitantly taking his place next to Shikamaru and Choji, the only other kids who did not try to either knock his head off or threaten his intelligence on a day to day basis, he gratefully accepted the chip the Akamichi passed over.

"Where did they find this guy? Nobody should be that excited to be here with us. Who do you think he pissed off?" Naruto mused as he crunched on the salty snack.

"He mentioned something about a bet he lost with his rival and how he would be instructing us in the guy's place," Choji answered, extending out a chip to his other friend.

"I think we're the ones who lost," Shikamaru grumbled, morosely grabbing the chip and placing it in his mouth.

"Alright my youthful little friends! My name Maito Gai and today we will be doing my own personal strength and endurance routine that I have happily crafted so that you may reach the pinnacle of your youthful potentials! And if we cannot complete it today, we will run 200 laps around the academy on our hands!"

The three boys froze mid chew with horror. "He's joking, right?" Naruto croaked. Choji upended the rest of the chip bag into his mouth, before immediately opening a new one. As the green maniac began to dance around performing complex katas that were way over the kids' heads at a blindingly fast speed, Shikamaru summed up the situation perfectly.

"Troublesome."

* * *

The walk home had been one of the most difficult of Naruto's life. Even with his blistered hands healing at the freakishly fast pace they usually did, his whole body ached from head to toe.

"Noble Green Beast my lily white ass," he moaned, trying and failing twice to steadily place his foot on the bottom stair leading up to his apartment. "More like the Nearly Naked Green Monster. Who the fuck put him in charge of a bunch of academy students?"

"You rang?" A puff of smoke preceded the arrival of Dog and Pakkun, who snorted unmercifully at the boy's obvious suffering.

"Don't tell me this was your doing," Naruto glared at the tall gray haired shinobi who always found a way to tease his "cute little Pup" (the sarcastic bastard) whenever he had the chance.

"Then don't ask." His single eye crinkled up in a way that translated into a snarky smile under his facemask.

"If I had complete control of my limbs right now I would kick your ass."

"You would _try_ , and fail miserably. But fear not. I have taken pity on you and brought you dinner, but you have to make it up the stairs first if you want it." With that he hummed a jaunty tune as he easily pranced up the stairs, disarmed the trap at the front door with frustrating ease, and waltzed into Naruto's apartment.

The normally endlessly energetic blond yelled all kinds of creative insults as he forced his body up the stairs, but both knew they were only empty threats. They had sort of forged a rather odd kind of brotherly relationship thingy over the last few months. Though neither would admit it out loud, the idea of somebody out there checking for you now and again, just to make sure you were alive and kicking, was a welcome feeling.

"Any slower and I let the dogs have it," Dog's taunting voice carried through the first few flakes of falling snow.

"You give my food away and I will burn that stupid little orange book!"

"Blasphemy!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Chapter 11

Naruto angrily eyed the Uchiha from across the the wide chalk circle drawn into the sparring ground at the schoolyard. He considered himself a fairly upbeat person most of the time, but this asshole had found a way to push his buttons.

Most of the kids in class simply avoided Naruto these days, ignoring his very existence. They had learned during the first year of academy that he was no one to mess with, and now as the second year had begun, they simply treated him like he was invisible. It was infuriating to the outgoing boy, bringing back painful childhood memories of going to the playground in search of friends, only to have parents herd all the kids away while casting him disgusted or even fearful glances. The desperate desire to be noticed was part of the reason he had started coming up with ways to play pranks on people, at least if they were covered in paint, or whatever else, they were looking at him. The shock was better than the hate.

Now his peers were gathered around the two completely opposite boys with eyes locked in rapt attention on the pair. From near the back of the group Choji and Shikamaru shared a bag of chips as they waited with more nervousness than they cared to admit for the teacher’s pet and the class clown to have their first face off of the year.

Mizuki-sensei, the new assistant teacher, walked to the outer edge of the chalk circle, a small smirk on his face that made Naruto even more suspicious of the guy. He had been giving the blond weird vibes since day one, his chakra felt like a boiling pot with the lid screwed on tight. At least Iruka-sensei was always polite, though not overly friendly to the blond outcast. He didn’t single him out unless Naruto asked for it. And to be honest, he totally asked for it sometimes.

Naruto flexed his fingers and shook his hands out in anticipation of the start, glancing over at Hinata as Mizuki-sensei started the familiar recitation of the rules of a spar. She was nervously poking her fingers together, and giving him a pleading look that he read all too clearly. _Don’t do anything crazy._

He quickly refocused on his glaring opponent, ignoring the twinge of guilt her lavender gaze gave him and grit his teeth. He had no intention of holding back, this wasn’t about him or his ego. It was about defending her, and putting this arrogant asshole in his place.

By now, as a second year academy student, Hinata had far and away blown past her female classmates in taijutsu. While a few, especially Sakura, had become more competitive within the academic realm, none could touch her out in the sparring yard. Regularly practicing and competing with two wildly different and equally strong boys like Neji and Naruto had helped the petite girl to become a well rounded fighter. Today, after two weeks of encouraging her and praising her, Naruto had finally convinced the shy girl, who still struggled with bouts of self doubt, to ask permission to join the boys for their sparring session.

She had barely been able to stutter out the question, but Naruto had beamed when she didn’t back down, standing proudly behind his friend as if his physical presence could offer her more strength. He knew that if she was just given a chance, she would exceed everyone’s expectations.

“There is no way I am wasting my time fighting with a girl,” the flat voice of an annoyed Uchiha had cut in before Mizuki-sensei could give her an answer. Hinata’s cheeks had instantly flamed red. She stood her ground but was biting her lip to hide its trembling, unwilling to look at anything but Sensei’s shoes.

“Oi, Teme! Nobody asked you!” Naruto had instantly jumped to her defense. “Hime could kick the ass of half the boys here, she beats me as often as I beat her when we spar!” Placing an encouraging hand on her shoulder, he shook the other fist at his classmate, hoping she wouldn’t give up after finally taking this big step. “She is really strong!” He added at a volume that ensured the whole school yard heard. He didn’t care, because it was true.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better, Dobe?” Sasuke had rolled his eyes, these people just didn’t get it. This wasn’t play time, this was training. He had a mission and he needed a real challenge if he was ever going to keep up with That Man. Some girl called ‘Princess’ didn’t exactly sound like the kind of competition he wanted.

“OooOOOooh, is the precious Uchiha scared of being beaten by a girl?” Naruto taunted. Hinata had grasped his arm, trying to get him to calm down before he said something really brash.

Sasuke clicked his teeth in annoyance. “Neither of you are worth my time. I’m here to be the best, not fight losers.”

”You can’t get better all by yourself, Teme! Who the hell turns down a good fight when its standing right in front of 'em?”

Hinata had felt close to cracking under all the pressure of the escalating situation. Despite all the progress she had made with her confidence in her skills, it was still so hard to be brave around other people besides Naruto-kun, and at that moment with the eyes of the whole class upon her, she was wishing she could shrink into her khaki coat and disappear. Ever since being branded she had committed her whole self to becoming the strongest kunoichi she could be and breaking free of her fate, and lately she had added a new goal: uniting the Hyuga. Seeing her brother, her father, and so many other strong members of the Branch family, and listening to her ambitious friend continually preach his beliefs about ending the cycle of hate, she had felt that her own Clan would be stronger if they could be united under a single banner. But it was easy to talk about her dreams with Naruto-kun and Neji-niisan. She knew the next step she needed to take was breaking out of her shell here at the academy. This had been her first attempt at being bolder like her best friend, and it was completely blowing up in her face.

Mizuki-sensei, who had been watching the back-and-forth between the two boys with a keen eye, mercifully stepped in at this point. “Take it easy guys, we can settle this right now,” he said with a twist to his smile. “Naruto, if you say Hinata-chan is strong enough to beat you, then you fight with Sasuke. Prove you can beat him, and we will know she is worthy to play with the boys.”

Hinata frowned at the round-about logic. She was the one asking to spar, not Naruto-kun. What did this even prove? What was Sensei doing?

Naruto’s mind was going in the same direction. He was trying to vouch for his friend, not steal her spotlight. But before he could get the words out, Sasuke did the thing that triggered Naruto almost as quickly as insulting his Hime, the prick blew him off. Rolling his eyes and starting to turn away, the Uchiha’s rejection meant the end of Hinata’s hopes for a newer challenge. Fucked up logic or not, Naruto couldn’t let his Hime down.

“Come at me, Genius,” Naruto hollered at the retreating figure. “Do your worst! I dare you!” Unbeknownst to the keyed up boy, his words had struck a deep wound within the youngest Uchiha. Flinching with the painful memory of that same challenge coming from That Man, Sasuke whirled around with anger burning in his dark eyes.

“Fine,” he bit out through clenched teeth, planting his feet firmly within the chalk circle. “Let us test our abilities.”

And so now they found themselves nearly snarling as they performed the seal of confrontation, each not realizing that the other fought for reasons much deeper and more personal than just a simple academy competition. They were fighting to prove the worth of their beliefs; one that people were stronger when they worked together, and the other that he alone was supreme.

“Hajime!”

The two rivals tore into each other with a ruthlessness that they had not displayed in any previous spar. Naruto was wild as a whirl wind; Sasuke struck fast as lightning. Immediately Hinata’s anxiety spiked, Naruto-kun was not fighting like his normal self, when he just wanted to be outside and burning energy. The harsh expression on his whiskered face was almost vulpine.

Each hit that landed was returned with greater power. The two unwavering combatants were more equally matched than anyone had realized. The spar dragged on, neither seemed able to gain a solid upper hand. Suddenly one of the hail of strikes Naruto was raining upon his opponent caught Sasuke in the mouth, spraying blood across the dirt much closer to the chalk borderline than the Uchiha wanted to be. The sharp pain caused a surge of adrenaline to shoot through his body, and seeing the smug look on the idiot’s face, his fury ignited.

Ferocious determination had Sasuke’s hand snapping to his hip pouch and before Naruto could wipe the cocky grin off his face, shuriken were spiraling towards the startled blond. Hinata gasped, this was supposed to only be a taijutsu spar, by employing weapons Sasuke had broken a cardinal rule. But surprise attacks were nothing new for the village pariah, and he reacted instinctively. Instantly retrieving his own kunai, Naruto deflected each flying weapon as fast as they reached him. Two of the blades ricocheted into a tree behind him, embedding deeply into the bark with their high velocity.

From the spot that she had elbowed her way into at the front of the gathered audience of classmates, Sakura blinked in shock. If those shuriken had actually hit their mark, Naruto would be badly hurt. She found the loud mouthed idiot as obnoxious as anybody, but those blades were thrown with a much heavier intent than to simply end a fight. Sharing a look with Ino-pig, who was holding back at least two other fangirls for the coveted front row view, Sakura could see her rival was thinking the same thing.

Now a full on knife fight, sparks flashed as both opponent's kunai clashed with metallic ringing reverberating throughout the schoolyard. The fierce competitors had long forgotten where they were, completely losing themselves in the fast paced battle with the single minded focus of warriors. A mighty swing of Naruto’s kunai was deflected by Sasuke with enough torque to send the blond sliding sideways through the dirt, barely keeping his footing. With a growl Sasuke pressed his advantage.

Naruto was scrabbling in the dirt for his dropped kunai, when he saw the shadow of his attacker charging up behind him. He looked over his shoulder, hands still frantically feeling for his weapon, to see Sasuke bearing down in a full sprint. Naruto’s fingers touched cold metal, but there was no time to spin around and fully block the oncoming attack. Hinata started to scream as Naruto blindly threw his kunai straight into the air, missing Sasuke by a mile.

The impulse to eliminate his opponent propelled Sasuke’s hand downward as he held nothing back. But when his kunai stabbed into solidity, he found the blade embedded up to the hilt in nothing but earth, with Naruto’s kunai spinning in the dirt beside his hands. He blinked away the haze of his anger. _Where did he go?_

The thudding sound of two feet landing on the ground behind him reached the Uchiha’s ears. His head whipped around to realize that the supposed Dead Last had just executed a near instantaneous _kawarimi_ with the kunai he had tossed into the air, without a single hand sign.

This time there was no gloating as Naruto immediately leapt at Sasuke, who barely shook off his shock to roll sideways before a flying kick could wallop into his back. The two again met each other in a barrage of blows as the class gaped at the brutal fight, and Mizuki mentally willed the Uchiha to end it once and for all.

Hinata sensed the vicious change in tone and ran over to the new sensei, tugging on his sleeve in alarm.

“You have to stop them, this isn’t fair!” she cried. This was all her fault, if she hadn’t tried to break the norm none of this would be happening. If something happened to Naruto-kun she would never forgive that bloody Uchiha, or herself.

Mizuki-sensei glanced down at her, but didn’t budge. A calculating look came to his eye as he answered, “I’ll allow it. Boys will be boys. Let them finish what they started.”

Hinata’s mouth gaped in dismay. This was crazy! Too stunned to think of another argument, her worried gaze was drawn back to the fight. _Naruto-kun, please be careful._

The boys paid no heed to anything except every move of his opponent, the exhilaration of exertion drawing leering grins from their faces. But the stamina of the Uzumaki was starting to show its advantage over Sasuke, who was trying to hide his exhausted panting. There were only so many more of the surprisingly strong blows he could block. Naruto sensed his fatigue and redoubled his efforts, determined to claim his victory.

Sasuke’s mind reeled at the idea of losing. He refused to fail, refused to allow this to happen. This idiot could not be allowed to beat him! He had to defeat That Man, if he couldn’t even best the Dobe, what good was he? What good had the hours of punishing training been?

Desperation started distorting Sasuke’s rational thoughts, the desire to win overruling his better judgment. A glance over his shoulder caused panic to awaken as he saw how close Naruto had pushed him to the edge of the circle. _NO!_ Instinct took over, his hands flying through the familiar signs, and he blasted an unrestrained fireball straight at his classmate. The last thing he saw was the orange clad figure hit the dirt and curl up in a ball.

Shocked gasps rippled through the bystanders, and several kids in the front had to shield themselves from the heat of the blaze. Breaking the rules of a spar by using weapons was one thing, but surprise use of a deadly offensive ninjutsu was another entirely. Sakura’s eyes watered as she gawked at the maddened object of her affection. _Sasuke-kun, what are you thinking?_

The fireball flew across the schoolyard, not dissipating until it nearly reached the tree line. When it cleared, Naruto was no where in sight. Sasuke paused, panting with fatigue and stormy emotions, Exhaling harshly, he let his body relax. _I won._

Cool metal pressed into the soft flesh of his neck. His dark eyes widened in shock as Naruto’s voice came from behind him. “Surrender, Teme. You’re lucky you didn’t burn my scarf.”

Sasuke blinked, where Naruto had been standing, where the weeds were singed and still smoking from his fireball, there lay a single shuriken. Naruto had once again swapped himself with one of Sasuke’s own forgotten weapons.

“Enough!!!” Suddenly Iruka-sensei was there, grabbing each boy by the collar and yanking them apart so hard Naruto dropped the dusty kunai he had grabbed when he’d hit the deck. The teacher was up in the classroom grading papers when he had seen the fireball from his window and immediately used a shunshin to intervene. He glared first at Mizuki-sensei, who was looking chagrined, and then at the boys.

“Class is dismissed for the day. You all may go home. Except for you two,” he growled, giving each dirtied opponent a shake. “You’re coming with me. Mizuki, you as well.”

As he turned to trudge up to the classroom behind the three others, Naruto caught Hinata’s eye. He flashed her a grin and a wink that helped her feel a little better. Slinking up next to him before he went inside, she whispered, “I’m sorry Naruto-kun, if I hadn’t asked—"

“Stop thinking like that Hime, you did nothing wrong.” Her friend sternly chastised her self deprecating thoughts.

Hinata sighed, knowing he was right, and forced herself to try and put her feelings aside. She looked up at his smudged face, one eye was swelling shut and his lip was split. But she knew he hated pity, so instead she gave him her bravest smile and said, “you were amazing out there, that was the fastest kawarimi of any academy student here. I don’t even think Neji-niisan can do it without hand signs.”

The praise had his face splitting into a huge smile that squinted both eyes shut. “He can’t! But don’t remind him, he’s still butt hurt about it.” Their laughter caught Iruka’s attention and he had to bite his cheek to keep from smiling at the cute little pair. Schooling his features he called out, “come on Naruto-kun, I have work for you to do.”

Hinata could almost see the little rain cloud form over his blond head as he whined. “I still feel bad about you getting hurt over me,” she said as she fished the little tin of healing ointment out of her pocket and pressed it into his hand.

Naruto smiled ruefully as he took the gift. “No worries Hime. Sensei was being stupid about the whole thing, making me spar for your chance to join the boys. Although after seeing how dirty the Teme fought, I’m kinda glad it was me and not you.”

Hinata frowned, the new assistant instructor apparently had a lot to learn. Reaching the edge of the schoolyard she said, “I’ll wait by the swing for you to finish—"

"No, no!” He loudly interrupted, startling her with his vehemence. “Um, I mean, not today, its fine. Just go home with Neji. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Hinata’s forehead wrinkled in displeasure at the adamant refusal. “But it’s your birthday and I...”

“Just, trust me. I’ll see you tomorrow, I promise,” and with a quick wave he disappeared into the building, leaving her standing alone in bewilderment.

* * *

The sound of scraping was the only thing that filled the empty classroom as the two boys worked their way desk by desk, row by row, removing every scrap of gooey gum that had petrified into a solid substance that could rival rock.

Naruto glanced over at Sasuke, who hadn’t made any more progress than himself, and was scowling darkly at the underside of a desk, trying to dodge the chipped off pieces of chewed gunk that were falling into his face. The blond sighed and let his fatigued arms drop, the awkward position he’d attempted by hanging off a chair upside down wasn’t doing his back any favors. _This would be a hell of a lot easier if we worked together_ , he mused tiredly. Scratching his cheek he eyed his comrade in punishment, figuring the simple proposal was worth a try. Standing up he crossed the room and stood at the edge of the table that was rattling from the angry scratching underneath.

“Ah-hem,” Naruto cleared his throat. The scratching stopped but no other acknowledgment was made. “If we turn it over it’ll be easier,” he mumbled, fully expecting his suggestion to be ignored. “Then we could get out of here sooner. Cuz y’know, I’ve got, um, stuff to do.”

Nothing.

Naruto huffed, completely unsurprised, but just as he turned to head back over to his side of the room, a dark head appeared above the long desk. Sasuke didn’t say a word as he stalked to the opposite end and grabbed the edge of the heavy wooden table. Naruto’s eyebrows raised up into his hair, but he quickly mirrored the boy’s actions before this opportunity disappeared.

One by one they flipped, scraped, and flipped again. The work went faster with the advantage of the new angle and they wordlessly made their way up the row. Finally, Naruto couldn’t take the silence anymore, even bickering would be better than this. And he still couldn’t quite let go of the fight. He wasn’t really that pissed about the broken rules, if anything, he’d been digging the no-holds-barred clash, it felt good let loose. But the rude comment about Hinata’s ability as a shinobi still irked him.

“I wasn’t lying,” he said, his voice echoing in the empty room.

“Hn.”

Naruto clicked his teeth in irritation at the dismissive grunt.

“Hinata really is strong,” he pressed. “She’s not like those other fangirls. She trains everyday and is always pushing herself to be better. We’re both committed to our goals and we’ll never give up until we succeed. Its our nindo.”

Sasuke’s scraping slowed a bit, as he digested the words. Now that he thought about it, the weird eyed girl had never chased him like the rest of the rabid hoard of females who always seemed more focused on him than being a shinobi. But honestly, he didn’t really care. “Whatever,” he answered, and resumed his scraping.

_Scratch...scratch...scratch..._

_“_ What about you?” Naruto pushed, boredom and curiosity making his exasperation with the apathetic boy take a back seat. “What’s your reason for becoming a shinobi? Everyone kisses your ass, calling you ‘The Last Uchiha’ and treats you like some sort of museum relic. What gives?”

“Nothing you would understand, Dobe,” he answers in a dismissive tone, abruptly standing up to grab his end of the clean table and flip it back over.

“Oh sure,” Naruto nods with sarcastic exaggeration, moving to take hold of the opposite side. “You’re probably right. I have no idea what it's like to go through life with a stick up my ass.” They each growl as they lift and flip.

“Spare me the petty insults and just work, ok?” Sasuke snapped, slamming his end of the table down harshly.

Naruto can’t quite let it go, continuing to provoke him as they move to the last desk. “Man, gimme a break, don’t act like you don’t walk all over this place thinking you’re better than the rest of us.” _Flip, SLAM_.

Both boys attack the bottom of the unfortunate table with growing aggression. “That’s rich coming from the kid who won’t shut up about being Hokage someday,” Sasuke bites back.

“You betcha, dattebayo! And I’m gonna do it without stepping on everyone’s heads to get there,” Naruto emphatically jabbed his metal spatula at the increasingly aggravated Uchiha. Pinning him with a narrowed blue eye he loudly declared, “I’m gonna be a Hokage that everyone respects, they’ll _want_ to acknowledge me!”

Sasuke gave him a flat look as he pushed the metal tool away from his face. “Baka. Who cares what everyone else thinks.”

“I do!” The blond forcefully drove his spatula down the underside of the table, chiseling off splinters and gum chunks. “This place is poisoned by hatred, and I’m sick of it! I’m gonna show them all how wrong they are about me...”

_Scratch._

“About Hime...”

 _Scratch_.

“About fate..."

 _SCRATCH_.

“Especially fate. FUCK fate. I will be a Hokage who protects the Will of Fire, and I never go back on my word, dattebayo!”

During the intense rant, Sasuke’s hand had stilled. He stared at the knuckleheaded prankster next to him with pity. The kid was more naive than he thought. Nothing was stronger than hatred. He had seen first hand what hatred could do, how powerful it could make one person. Sasuke was nothing without his hatred. It was what made getting out of bed everyday bearable. What pushed him to train. The key to avenging his clan. Without it, he would never defeat That Man.

“You’re wrong,” the Uchiha said in a somber voice that caught the rambling lecturer’s attention. Sasuke was staring blankly at the desk, as though his thoughts were miles away. “The only way to defeat them, is to hate them more.” Naruto blinked at the nearly defeated tone of his normally arrogant classmate. “Sasuke..."

But he was already on his feet and turning his back on Naruto. When he faced him again from the opposite edge of the desk, his expression was once again hardened into that perpetual look of annoyance. The conversation was over.

They flipped the table back up and without another word Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets and left.

* * *

Iruka rubbed his temples as he exited the office where he had just wrapped up a stern conversation with the new assistant sensei. _One would think that preventing students from murdering each other during recess would be common sense_ , he griped to himself.

He entered the empty classroom to find Naruto alone, staring out the window towards the sunset with an unusually solemn look on his face. The teacher paused at the rare sight, and suspiciously cast a glance around to make sure there weren’t any traps rigged up in retribution for the punishment. Nothing obvious seemed amiss, and he settled his puzzled gaze back on the most challenging child he had ever met, who was disturbingly quiet.

The rare sight had his mind recalling the monthly meeting he had with the Hokage yesterday, where Iruka had vented about his exasperation with the wild young jinchuriki.

 _“You have a lot in common with the boy, Iruka. He is an orphan just like you, and seeks to find a way to be recognized with any emotion other than the hatred he has grown up knowing. The pranks, the fighting, they are the child in him who simply craves attention. Take the time to really see him, and you will be surprised at the complexity of his mind, and purity of his heart. Despite enduring repeated rejection growing up, he has managed to create close bonds with two of the most promising children to ever come out of the Hyuga. He and Hinata have become stronger together than they ever could have alone. She is the discarded heiress of an elite clan and he is condemned for being the keeper who protects us from our worst nightmare. It would be understandable if they gave in to hatred, and spent their lives seeking_ _retribution for the sins committed against them. But together, they instead have chosen to fight for a better tomorrow_.”

The scarred-faced chunin had laid awake long into the night contemplating the words of The Professor.

“Naruto-kun,” Iruka says, and the boy spins suddenly, so absorbed in his thoughts that for once he was unaware of another’s presence. “You both finished I see?” he continues, placing a hand on his hip as he scanned the classroom before fixing a stern gaze on the remaining boy. “I hope this is the last time I’ll have to separate the two of you for pointless fighting.”

“It wasn’t pointless,” Naruto stubbornly replied, crossing his arms with a pout. “He insulted my friend, and I will always defend my friends. He broke the rules of the spar and attacked me, and I will always protect myself when threatened,” he declared, looking the Chunin straight in the eye with a defiant blue stare that gave him an eerie sense of deja vu. “Besides, Mizuki-sensei was there the whole time and he never tried to stop us.”

Iruka stamped down the immediate reaction of any authority figure to demand that a child respect their elders and just shut up and say they're sorry. But studying the way this boy’s eyes burned with conviction, he felt himself nodding at the bold statement. It was not a convenient perspective for a teaching environment, but it was the way a shinobi should think. He smiled and placed a hand on Naruto’s shoulder, thinking how much taller the blond had gotten since last year. “Fair enough, but sometimes it is ok to be the bigger man and let bygones be bygones. Especially when on school grounds, eh?”

A small sheepish grin spreads across the whiskered face as he rubs the back of his head. “Hai, Sensei.”

Iruka chuckles and turns to go, expecting the boy to follow him. but he remains standing by the edge of the last desk, nervously scratching a finger over some graffiti on the flat surface and looking out the window with a worried expression. Frowning, Iruka looks out the window over Naruto’s shoulder, seeing nothing but the setting sun and the lights of the festival that is taking place downtown... _oh, that means today is his birthday, and there will be.._.

The sensei looks down at the boy, so brave when defending his friends, yet still in need of defense himself. His heart softens as he remembers hearing about drunken villagers sometimes chasing the “Kyuubi demon child” on this day, thinking to exact revenge for their losses with the blood of an innocent jinchuriki, who lost just as much, if not more, as all of them. _I see you, Naruto-kun. It is my turn to protect someone important._

“Y’know, I’m not one for festivals myself,” he says as casually as possible, gaining the anxious blond’s attention. “I was thinking of heading the opposite direction and grabbing some ramen on my way home. You wouldn’t, by any chance, want to join me?”

Joy lit up Naruto’s face and his eyes sparkled, “Hell yeah I do!”

Iruka laughed as the boy bounced out of the classroom behind him. With a crooked smile he teasingly asks, “Will Hinata-chan be joining us? You two usually head off together after school, is she waiting for you?” Iruka personally thought the pair of best friends made the cutest little couple, and was maybe a bit guilty of pairing them up together whenever a project came around. But he totally wasn’t shipping his students, no way. That was much too unprofessional for a respectable instructor like himself. Nope.

“I, uh, sent her home with Neji,” Naruto answers quietly. “Today isn’t usually a good day for me, and I, uh, would rather her not get tangled up in, um, anything, y’know?” His fingers played with the end of his red scarf as he tucks his chin down into its folds.

Iruka’s smile turns sad as he remembers the feeling of being alone as a child on his birthdays. And here was Naruto, who was willing to suffer the loneliness to ensure his friends stayed safely away from any danger he might bring down upon them. And this was the child everyone said was supposedly full of hatred and death? Yet here he was, once again protecting others at his own expense. While the last year of being the Chunin Sensei to the unpredictable pranking ball of energy had been, well, _trying_ to say the least, Iruka had to admit, the kid’s fierce loyalty to his morals was quite admirable.

He reached over and ruffled the outrageously spiky yellow hair. “Tell you what, I’ll add extra pork to all your ramen since it's your thirteenth birthday, and you can tell me all about this Hokage business you’re always going on about. Deal?”

“Yattah!”

* * *

Kakashi snapped his head to the left of his hidden position when he sensed movement coming from the alley. His fingers instinctively reached for his kunai, ready to deal with any attack that came his direction. Already he had “gently” deposited no less than six assholes who had attempted to break past Naruto’s traps and get into the jinchuriki’s apartment. The police would be kept busy booking all the idiots into cells, and the night was still young. The fact that most of the patrols were occupied down at the festival itself had the Copy Nin voluntarily posting up in his current position, overlooking the boy’s home.

Damn he hated this day.

Refusing to be distracted by his own dark thoughts, he sniffed the air as the footsteps drew closer, trying to get an idea of how inebriated his latest victims were. But as the faint aroma of ramen reached his sensitive nose, he relaxed. When Naruto and Iruka rounded the corner he nodded in satisfaction at the way the chunin scanned the surrounding area before wishing the beaming boy a happy birthday and watching to ensure he safely entered the building and reset the traps.

Silently he dropped to the ground well within the instructor's field of vision, holding up his empty hands to show the instantly guarded shinobi that he was unarmed and no threat.

Iruka squinted at the dark figure. “Kakashi? What are you doing here? Look, if this is about that last group of genin you failed, don’t bother, I actually agree with you this time and they’re repeating the third year, ok?”

The often-assigned but never-committed sensei smirked under his mask. “Mah, mah, Iruka, relax. I’m just babysitting our favorite little falsely accused scapegoat on this special occasion. Did you see Hinata-chan home as well?”

The chunin tiredly shoved his hands into his pockets and shook his head. “No, Naruto-kun sent her home earlier with her cousin. He didn’t want her to get involved in anything.”

“Hn,” the Copy Nin was not surprised, for all his carefree attitude, the little Pup was very thoughtful, especially when it came to his best friend who was a girl. He shamelessly giggled to himself. He totally shipped those two.

“Kakashi,” Iruka’s voice was thoughtful, and his gaze lifted to the window of the dark apartment where his student had hunkered down for the long night. “He says he is going be Hokage. That Hinata is going to fix the Hyuga. That they’re going to end all the hatred and protect everyone.” The man’s scarred face darkened as he frowned and looked back at the waiting shinobi.

Kakashi tilted his head, confused at where this was going. “Yeah, and?”

Iruka huffed and tossed his arms in exasperation. “C’mon, that’s crazy! I mean, have you seen the way people look at him? And the _Hyuga?_ I’ve met with them in regards to Neji a few times and they are... just...” the man cast his gaze around looking for the politically correct term before exhaling and rubbing his face. “They a goddamned nightmare, if I could find a way around all the red tape I’d report them for child abuse.”

“Wouldn’t recommend it,” the other ninja snorted. “You might find a decapitated horse head in your bed one morning.”

“What?!”

Kakashi waved his hand through the air, “Inside joke.”

Iruka blinked in mild horror at the former ANBU, remembering why his peers called the guy more than slightly unhinged.

The fireworks show began from the top of the steep hillside, causing both men to look up towards the Hokage faces. Their carved expressions seemed to come alive in the flash of colored lights, as though reflecting the mixed emotions of the two shinobi below.

It was Kakashi who finally spoke. “They’re special kids Iruka. They truly do have the Will of Fire, and they never give up. Not on their dreams, not on each other, and not on us. That’s more than I can say for myself.” His normally lazy tone was gravely serious and he straightened to his full height before stating, “I believe in the worth of their dreams, and I am willing to put my faith in them.”

Iruka chuckled mirthlessly as he turned to head home. “I know, you’re right,” he sighed. “And that’s what I’m afraid of, nothing is freely given in this ninja world. Everything is earned, prices must be paid. I hate the thought of what kind of suffering lies ahead of them.” He looked up once more at the humble apartment of the most amazing student, no _human_ , he had ever met.

“But I’ll do anything to make sure they succeed.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

CHAPTER 12

An aura of trepidation followed every Branch servant as they went about their tasks on the chilly spring day. Hinata was not immune to the anxiety that each person felt as the hours crawled by and they waited and waited. She found herself eyeing the clock more often than her charge for the day.

Hanabi snapped her attention back to the present when she threw a small stuffed toy at her face. "I talk to you!" her tiny voice was filled with annoyance at the lack of attention her "guest" was giving the little pretend tea ceremony.

"Sorry Hanabi-sama. What did you say?" Hinata quickly answered as she bent to retrieve the small plushie and place it back on its assigned cushion. She was not usually the one who stayed with the little heiress, but with Ane-sama's condition, everyone was shuffling duties to cover for the servants who were occupied with her care.

"More tea!" the girl demanded, brushing a stray lock of dark brown hair from her eyes with a chubby hand.

"Say please," Hinata automatically responded as she reached for the expensive miniature teapot. The two-year-old crossed her arms and stuck her tiny nose into the air in a remarkably accurate portrayal of her mother, "You a Branch people. Mama says you have to listen to me."

Hinata paused and looked at the child, weighing the risks of continuing to simply scold the spoiled girl and having her throw a fit, or once again making an attempt to reach out and give her impressionable mind a different perspective of her clan, and having her blab to her mother. If she was ever going to reach her goal of uniting the Hyuga, having the support of the Clan Head's daughter would be very helpful. Deciding to take the high road and stick her neck out for the sake of the future, Hinata responded gently as she poured the cold tea.

"Yes, but people always listen better when you ask nicely. Kindness will get you more help when you need it."

"I a big girl. I no need help. I pick my own clothes and everyfing," Hanabi stated matter-of-factly as she shoved up the sleeves of her rich red kimono with little finesse.

"Everyone needs help sometimes," Hinata prodded, reaching over to neatly roll up the sleeves before the expensive fabric was dragged across the table top full of tiny pastries prepared especially for the playtime, per her mother's request. "And when that happens, the friends we make by being nice will always be there for us."

Hanabi held her arms out while eyeing the older girl rather suspiciously. "Mama says I can't be friends with Branch people."

"Is that right," Hinata mumbled flatly. This was not going well. Ane-sama was definitely ensuring her daughter was good and brainwashed. With her limited contact with Hanabi, no doubt also due to the Honorable Wife, she would never be able to sway the child away from the biased teachings of the Main House.

Hinata sighed and was contemplating her next possible statement when the door slid open and the woman who was usually tasked with watching the little ball of sass stepped into the room.

Hinata quickly went to her and asked in hushed tones, "Well? The baby?" The Branch maid shook her head sadly, and Hinata sucked in a sharp breath. That made this Ane-sama's second miscarriage. Everyone knew the immense amount of pressure that the increasingly unstable Clan Head was putting on his wife to produce a male heir. Already rumors were circulating among the Branch servants that his attentions had begun to stray from his young brood mare to another woman. Unless she was able to deliver a healthy boy, Ane-sama's position was seriously in jeopardy in the eyes of the fickle Hyuga leader.

As a result, every Branch member would be walking on egg shells for the foreseeable future, as the Honorable Wife was not known for her patience even on the best of days.

The lack of male progeny put Hanabi-sama under intense scrutiny of her own, from the ever watching Council of Elders, who were always looking for assurances of her ability to take over the role of Clan Head if needed. So far the small child had displayed a strong personality that was the exact opposite of Hinata's. She was willful, sharp, and bursting with self confidence. Should she ever activate her Byakugan, she would have little problem forcing her way out of the role of 'demure husband bait' that Hiashi believed to be the only purpose of a daughter.

And she was also, very much her mother's daughter.

This fact was reinforced as Hinata turned to look at the only child, to find her upbraiding a stuffed teddy for spilling his tea in the half babbling language of a toddler. The lecture was concluded when Hanabi clapped her hands together is terrifyingly accurate mimicry of the seal her mother frequently used to subdue her servants, while glaring at the unfortunate toy. The maid next to her pressed her hand to her mouth but Hinata still heard her whispered words, "Kami save us all."

With her attendance at the academy, Hinata was rarely around the strong-willed child, and even if she were present, Ane-sama would never approve of her being anywhere near the girl. Observing the way that Hanabi dominated her own little make believe world, Hinata couldn't help but be glad for that fact, despite the small twinge of guilt that niggled at her conscience. But right now, the best she could do was succeed in her own goals at the academy, and continue to chase her dream of becoming a strong kunoichi. Believing that someday, she could become strong enough to change not only her own fate, but the fate of those around her. Naruto-kun seemed to think it was possible to make people change, but what if they didn't want to?

Hanabi looked up and noticed the arrival of her normal caretaker and held up her empty little plate. "Hungry!"

Hinata placed a hand on the tired woman's arm, telling her with a small nod to stay put while she fetched the lunch herself. She felt more comfortable around the kitchen than in the Main House quarters anyways. Casting one more glance at the vibrant future heiress, she quickly left to spread the news of Ane-sama's latest misfortune, and warn the others to keep their heads down.

* * *

Naruto flew out of a tree down to the unofficial training grounds that the small group of friends had long ago created away from the Hyuga compound and their ever-seeing eyes, with Hinata landing lightly right behind him. The late summer sun was warm and bright, a perfect day for some serious training.

"Is Neji coming today?" he asked, turning around and walking backwards with his hands clasped behind his head.

"No, he has training with his new genin team," Hinata replied, already starting to stretch her arms in anticipation of the work out. Second year had ended and quickly transitioned into the third and final round of the Academy, leaving her with a growing sense of self confidence as she looked back on all she had accomplished. After the dramatic results of Naruto and Sasuke's spar, she had gathered what was left of her courage and gone to Iruka-sensei to demand that Mizuki-sensei's wierd promise be fulfilled. The man had patiently heard her out, and after some thought, had decided to change the whole approach to taijutsu training, and eliminated the separation of the sexes. Pairing off with random partners of her same caliber had helped Hinata blossom in confidence and skill, as well as many of her other aspiring kunoichi classmates.

"Lucky! Gah, I can't wait until we can start doing missions. A year feels like forever away." Naruto scrunched up his face into a childish pout that looked even sillier on him now that he had experienced another growth spurt. The scrawny little blond kid who screamed about becoming Hokage was rapidly overtaking most of his classmates in stature. Hinata was still a bit petite for her age but had grown as well, yet she now was only eye level with his mouth.

"You need more practice with your _bunshin_ before you can even think of taking the exam," she gently reprimanded her best friend. For some reason, despite being one of the best at several E ranked ninjutsu, the ridiculously simple clone was nearly impossible for him.

The dramatic pout progressed into a full on sulk and Naruto spun back around and tossed his red scarf over his shoulder with a frustrated swipe. "I'm trying! I have no idea why it's not working."

Suddenly there was a loud boom and wet splat from the tree line on the far side of the training grounds.

"Motherfucker!" a voice echoed.

"Gotcha! HA HA!" Naruto's mood instantly did a 180 as he sped off in the direction of the explosion. Hinata was immediately following him, moving her hands through the seals to activate her Byakugan.

For the last month Naruto had been working on a new set of seals, and had recently set them up around the border of the training ground. He wasn't sure, but sometimes he felt that someone was trailing him through the crowds of the market and to and from the academy. It had started about a week ago, when Dog had left on a mission for the Hokage. The often chased boy had always been skittish about these things, especially ever since the incident with Hinata, and then the ninja in the white mask. When his father's fuuinjutsu books and his hyperactive brain had combined to come up with a new method of punishing would-be stalkers, he had decided to test his newest creation out on the unknown person.

The first fuuinjutsu book Jiraiya had given him had been mostly about history and information; comparing materials and identifying different types of seals, such as privacy locks, explosions, or storage, and their methods of application. The notes in the margins had been more helpful than the complicated narrative, and Naruto had been awed at the thought that this was the handwriting of his father. Knowing that this book had been held in his hands, that his fingers had flipped through these pages, folding over corners here and there to mark a particularly important spot, it had made the man more real. The first time Naruto had opened the book he had buried his nose in its pages and gleefully inhaled the musty aroma. The spine was soft and fell open easily, testifying to the frequent usage of the tome.

The second book had focused on technique and practical application. It contained detailed instructions on calligraphy, a catalogue of the most basic components of the symbols, and how they combined into increasingly complex segments that would become the building blocks of a complete array. It was these primary pieces that Naruto had started trying to apply to his day to day use.

The storage seal was easiest. He had quickly been able to create scrolls for Hinata that she could use to carry her water, bandages, and ointments. It was just a small beginner's attempt, but she liked that because she could easily keep it hidden on her person. He had made another one for Neji, as part of his graduation gift, saying it would make all his unwanted deliveries easier. As a joke he had filled it with hair ties. The boy had rolled his eyes before giving his thanks and promptly handing the hair ornaments over to Hinata, whose midnight hair was nearly to her shoulder blades now.

The explosive tags were where Naruto started to get a little crazy. What thirteen-year-old didn't love to see things go boom? Soon he was rigging all his traps with explosive tags as wells as storage seals that would release buckets of paint when they were triggered. That beautiful creation had been planted at his apartment, knowing that Dog was usually nearby and the noise combined with the bright orange paint trail would make tracking any assholes trying to vandalize his home a cinch.

The last part of the book had been an introduction to other kinds of seals: gravity seals, resistance seals, privacy seals, border seals, chakra binding seals, and so many more. Naruto's brain had spun with the possibilities. He had carefully earmarked a particular section that talked about bloodline sealing, in the hope that he could someday understand it well enough to accomplish a new secret goal of his, setting his friends free.

The newest fuuinjutsu book that Jiraiya had left on his doorstep (he had tried to leave it on the table, sensed Naruto's traps and decided to back away slowly) was absolutely fascinating. The content was more theoretical, exploring the possibility of how seals could be customized to create new possibilities that pushed the limits of physics, science, and even time. It discussed how seals could be woven together to combine multiple tasks into one array. It even delved into how to implant different kinds of triggers that would react to movement, chakra, a preset time of activation, or only a specific person. The last chapters, the ones he had not gotten to yet, were filled with notes from his father. It appeared that the man had been more than a little obsessed with idea of warping space with seals. The formulas scrawled in the margins were incomplete, and way over Naruto's head at this point, but he was determined to never give up learning this nearly lost art. In his mind it was more than a skill, it was his heritage.

It was with this spirit of resolution that Naruto applied the first lesson of the book and attempted to spice up his boundary traps around the little training grounds. He had finally worked out a seal that combined the formulas for an explosive tag, a storage seal of paint, and a motion trigger, into a single array. He thought he had felt an unfamiliar presence over that direction the other day, and wanted to test out his newest work of art.

Eagerly running over to the far edge of the clearing and into the brush, what greeted him was a not-so-silver haired shinobi who was angrily wiping orange paint out of his only exposed eye.

Naruto burst out laughing. "Dog! It's been a while since I got you with one of my traps, how do you like the latest product?"

"Fan-fuckin-tastic Pup," Kakashi grumbled, pulling off his gloves and hitae-ate. Hinata ran up just then and seeing the familiar ninja looking more like a smashed pumpkin, quickly reached for her storage scroll and opened it smoothly with the seal facing the dripping jonin. "Sorry about this Dog-san, it's gonna be cold."

"What's gonna be—blrrblblrrblbrrrr!"

With a swipe of her hand across the seal, Kakashi suddenly found himself soaked for a second time, but now with freezing water from the nearby stream. At least he was free of most of the atrocious color.

Looking down at the puddle gathering under him, Kakashi blinked at the large amount of liquid. "Hinata, how did you get all that free water sealed in there?"

"Water likes me." She answered simply as though simply saying the sky was blue. Naruto was nodding next her and added, "yeah, when Neji was teaching us do the water walking exercises she would always have these drops sticking to her like she'd rolled in sparkles or something. She wouldn't get wet though, just they clung to her."

"Father said it was probably my affinity. And when I was channeling chakra through my body it was attracted to me, like a magnet," Hinata added as she neatly rolled up her storage scroll and replaced in her hip pouch.

"You know your affinity already?" Kakashi blinked, rather impressed, and Hinata blushed humbly at the jonin's surprised question. Lately he had been busy with the newest class of genin graduating, and then the Hokage had sent him out on a recon mission for the last week. Upon returning earlier today he and Pakkun had immediately checked on Naruto's apartment and noticed signs of someone casing the place in the subtle, unfamiliar scents the ninken picked up, and the traces of chakra his Sharingan noted. Now that Neji had graduated and been placed with a genin team, he was worried that the two kids, though skilled, would be that much more vulnerable out here on the edge of the forest without the extra set of eyes. Even in The Leaf, shadows lurked.

 _And what do I get for my efforts?_ Kakashi grumbled to himself, turning to look at the blond boy who was smugly standing with his arms crossed.

"What about you Pup," his lazy tone returned as he stood up. "Find anything sticking to you other than dirt and body odor?"

"Oi, how dare you! I shower!" Naruto instantly retorted.

"Not enough. I can smell you coming a mile away."

Naruto stuck out his tongue in response to the jibe, but answered the question anyway. "I have no idea what my elemental affinity is, every time I start channeling chakra it takes all my focus to just keep it under control long enough to execute a jutsu, let alone notice what's happening around me. Unless fuuinjutsu counts? I like that stuff! It's the one thing I'm really good at." The growing boy happily eyed the filthy jonin who was still sporting the results of his talents.

"That's not true Naruto-kun, you're one of the top kids in our class in taijutsu, and your _kawarimi_ is by far the fastest," Hinata cut in. "And Hiro-san is always saying that you're freakishly sneaky because you always manage to find where she hides the cinnamon rolls. Even I can't do that."

"That's not that big of a deal. You just gotta think like they think and beat 'em at their own game." The nonchalant way the boy stated a key insight of espionage, as if it was common knowledge, had Kakashi shuddering at the thought of how horrifyingly deadly this kid was gonna be someday out in the field.

"Besides," Naruto whined once more, "I can't even do the damn bunshin. And that's one that I need to pass the final exam!" Hinata gently patted her agitated friend's shoulder. "You had a hard time with the water walking and the tree climbing but eventually mastered them, remember Naruto-kun? You just need to keep practicing."

Kakashi had been listening with one ear as he continued wringing out various parts of his person, finally giving up and doing a simple wind jutsu to dry himself instantly. He turned to examine Naruto closely as he grumped about how difficult it was to regulate his chakra, vaguely remembering Kushina-senpai mentioning the same problem.

He recalled the solution she had come up with to compensate, but it was a risky jutsu. Executing it was not particularly difficult, but managing the aftermath of its affects could require some finesse to say the least. But Naruto had never ceased to surprise him when it came to his ability to take a poor situation and make the best of it. Mind made up, Kakashi decided to follow his Sensei, and put his faith in this child once more.

"Come here, Pup. I want you to try something," he said, gesturing for the boy to follow him.

Looking quizzically at each other, the kids shrugged and trotted behind the now wildly spiked mop of gray hair towards the middle of the clearing.

Taking on the air of an ANBU captain explaining a complex mission detail, Kakashi drilled the hyperactive boy with a stare meant to lock down his focus. "I'm going to show you a type of clone called a _kage bunshin_. It's similar to what you're attempting, but requires a lot more chakra. So much more, in fact, that it's technically forbidden due to the risk of chakra exhaustion. But for someone like you who has deeper reserves, it should be safe, and quite productive." Naruto's eyes had widened into blue spheres as he desperately tried not to explode with glee over learning a forbidden jutsu.

Showing the eager boy the single hand sign and giving him a few more pointers on how to channel his chakra, the jonin then stood back next to Hinata, who had her Byakugan activated and was watching with intense curiosity.

Scrunching up his face and gritting his teeth, Naruto forced his mind and body to settle into that "inner awareness" that Neji was forever going on about. Trying to control the maelstrom of chakra that whirled within himself was always a challenge. The chakra control exercises had been a bitch to learn. It seemed as though no matter how hard he focused on commanding his chakra, it at times had a mind of its own, like he was fighting for dominance of his own body. Whenever he suppressed his chakra to avoid detection, he just instinctively shut the whole thing down, like dumping water on a fire and allowing the darkness to hide his presence. The delicate manipulation required to gradually increase and decrease the stormy flow along a spectrum in order to execute different jutsu was much more difficult, and practicing it usually left him more exhausted than hours of physical training.

Kakashi and Hinata waited with baited breath as they watched Naruto struggling to concentrate. A small breeze began to swirl around the grass, picking up leaves that then orbited around the tense figure, making his red scarf dance eerily. The boy's extreme efforts became punctuated by a low growling, and the wind picked up speed. A twinge of panic tugged at the back of Kakashi's brain as an unpleasantly familiar feeling of demonic dread began to bleed into the rushing air. He thought he saw Naruto's whiskers begin to darken, the canine teeth exposed by his grimace begin to lengthen, and alarm shot through the Copy Nin as he reached with one hand to pull off his hitae-ate while pushing Hinata behind him with the other. Just as his Sharingan focused, Naruto suddenly yelled in a strained voice, " _kage bunshin no jutsu_!"

A massive wave of chakra burst from Naruto's body, sending Kakashi and Hinata hurtling back into the bushes and filling the clearing with smoke. After quickly assessing himself and the stunned girl for injuries, Kakashi crawled out with Hinata under his arm and they were greeted by the sight of Naruto panting in the dirt next to a black scorch mark, small rips and tears littering his orange clothes.

"Naruto-kun are you alright!?" Hinata was the first reach his side, stumbling to ground next to him and pushing aside her own dizziness from the massive pulse of chakra to assess her stunned friend.

"What the hell was that?" Naruto mumbled, he was staring at his fingers like he didn't recognize his own hand, turning it over and back.

Kakashi adjusted his hitae-ate back over his Sharingan before he knelt by Hinata and looked sternly into the blond's eyes for any lingering signs of the demonic chakra he had just felt. The jinchuriki's gaze was clear and blue, a bit fearful, but still completely himself. Glad that his mask would hide his immense relief, he asked, "Pup, what happened?"

"I...have no idea," Naruto answered dazedly. "I was channeling my chakra and really trying to make it as fluid as possible, y'know? The more I concentrated it felt like the stronger it got, and I thought that was a good thing. Then it started to change kind of, like it felt heavier, or denser, or just more..." The boy's forehead furrowed as he looked for the right word, and his other hand unconsciously pressed into his abdomen, causing Kakashi to inhale sharply.

"...darker," he finished in a small voice.

Hinata had reached out and touched his shoulder, drawing the disheveled boy's gaze back outwards. Seeing her concern he instantly flashed her a reassuring smile. "So," he continued, forcing his tone to brighten, "I figured that I might have finally hit paydirt and went for it." He looked at the two people next to him and chuckled sheepishly as he reached out and plucked a leaf from Hinata's hair. "I guess I could still use some practice, eh? No worries! I never give up, dattebayo!"

Kakashi's first instinct was to instantly forbid him from ever channeling chakra for anything ever again and slap eighteen different chakra binding seals all over his gut. But the idea was quickly dismissed, forbidding Naruto from practicing a new jutsu was like telling the ocean to stop being so wet. Was it too much to hope that the demonic beast roiling within the rambunctious boy could eventually be tamed? Kakashi pushed his doubt aside, and remembered who it was he was talking about. If anyone could ever hope to overcome the hatred and power of the kyuubi, it was Naruto.

The indomitable boy had bounced back up to his feet and was already preparing to try again. "This time Pup, stop before you feel that...darker, chakra," Kakashi advised. "Your reserves are plenty big enough that volume is not the issue I want you to focus on, but control."

Flicking him a mock salute, Naruto took a wide legged stance and braced himself for whatever may come.

"Wait!" Pulling Hinata to the far side of the clearing, Kakashi executed a doton jutsu that had a thick mud wall bursting up from the ground, decorated with the faces of his dog summons. "Alright, ready!"

Naruto huffed in annoyance, "it wasn't that bad," he mumbled. Once again forming the hand sign, he took a deep breath, and began to focus. Hinata had her bloodline activated and was watching closely through the earthen barrier. Kakashi closed his eyes and opened his senses to try and detect the first sign of demonic chakra. Silence reigned across the training ground, even nature seemed to be holding its breath in anxious anticipation.

" _Kage bunshin no jutsu_!"

Hinata's gasp and gaping mouth had Kakashi pulling out his kunai and leaping over the wall ready to do battle with the Nine Tailed Demon himself. But when his feet hit the ground, he was so shocked the kunai slipped from his loose grasp.

No less than fifty orange terrors were blinking curiously in the afternoon light, looking around at the forest like they had never seen trees before. The mud wall recessed back into the ground and revealed an astounded Hinata, Byakugan still active, staring with shock and awe. The shadow clone nearest to her turned around at the sound of the rumbling earth and spotted the frozen girl. He grinned with a face splitting smile that had his whole countenance lighting up like the sun.

"Hime! I did it!" The clone screamed and ran at her with arms wide open, glomping the girl in a huge hug. His loud laughter caught the attention of the other clones nearby and soon Hinata found herself surrounded by a pack of overjoyed Narutos, all fighting to embrace their Hime.

Taking quick action Kakashi dove to the poor thing's rescue. Bonking all the spiky yellow heads with a fist like some messed up version of whack-a-mole, he finally found her, red faced and eyes spinning, at the bottom of the mosh pit.

"So...many...Naruto...kuns..." was all she could shakily whisper.

A ring of restless bodies formed a circle around the dizzy Hyuga until The Original finally came bursting through the line, bellowing with authority. "All right, all right! Break it up you bastards! Leave her alone! No touching! Got it? No touch!" He took a defensive position by her side, glaring angrily and waving a finger around at the crowd of gawking shadow clones. "Let's get this straight right now, no one touches Hime without my permission!"

"Aww come on!"

"Gimme a break."

"We were just being nice."

Kakashi wearily ran a hand through his wild hair, even the kid's clones were knuckleheads.

"Oh look! Squirrel!" cried a voice from the back of the group. The mini mob abruptly turned as one and took off in a stampede toward the tree line.

"Holy hell, its like a kitsune army." Kakashi whispered in horror. He had expected the kid to form maybe three to five shadow clones, remembering Kushina's max to be around 25-30 in her prime. _How much chakra does the kid have? And this is all without even touching the Kyuubi's supply?_ Turning to look at the mind boggling enigma, who had now pulled his friend to her feet and was fanning her face, Kakashi snickered as he noticed her wiping a small bit of blood from under her nose.

"Hime I'm so sorry! I don't know what got into them, it's like they have a mind of their own!" Naruto apologized profusely as he helped to steady his wobbly friend.

"That's because they do." Kakashi spoke up, peering into the forest at the small dust cloud that was all that remained of the rampaging hoard.

"Huh?" The kids asked is unison.

"That's why a _kage bunshin_ takes so much more chakra, it's an actual clone, with thoughts and feelings and reactions." The jonin continued his explanation while internally wondering what kind of dog to summon for the task of retrieving the pack of clones before they ran amok over the whole village. _A herder would round them up like a flock of sheep, or I could always try a foxhound, those guys love a good hunt..._ Reaching for his summoning scroll he added, "there might be some discrepancies based on how stable your chakra was when you made them, but essentially they are all, well, _you_. The other benefit is—"

The hysterical squawking of a flock of birds swiftly taking to the air somewhere in the distance interrupted them, and Naruto's eyes got really big. "Um, they got the squirrel."

"—memory transfer."

With a poof Pakkun was standing before them, sniffing the air he looked at his summoner. "Kakashi, why does it smell like the Uzumaki Special Number 27 around here? I haven't smelled that since..." his dark eyes stared hard at the sheepishly smiling culprit. The pug sighed, "How many?"

"About fifty," the jonin said cheerfully, ignoring the spluttering dog. "Be gentle now, its his first time!" With an eye smile he quickly summoned two more ninken and sent the small pack to go take care of business. In the mean time he would explain the delicate process of dispelling a clone without falling unconscious from the sudden rush of information.

"Uh oh," Naruto's face had suddenly gone pale and he was grimacing as though someone had just punched him in the gut, making both his companions freeze in dread. Hinata was the one who bravely asked, "what now Naruto-kun?"

"Dog," he croaked hoarsely, his voice more serious than Hinata ever thought possible. "We got a Code Green."

"Code Green!? Which way?" The alarm in the experienced former ANBU's voice was reflected in his immediately tense posture, head swiveling around the clearing and even up to the sky. Their reaction was contagious and the Hyuga had her Byakugan activated, also scanning for the unknown threat.

"Coming from east wall, he's moving fast." Naruto answered in deadly low voice.

"Shit! ETA?"

"Hmmm," the blond sharply flinched as a new memory bombarded his brain. "Fuck! That'll take some getting used to, uh, about three minutes."

In the distance a loudly booming voice could be heard proclaiming the glorious power of youth.

"Oh Kami," unmitigated horror was written across the blond's face.

"What?!" Kakashi was grabbing his small shoulders, shaking him with fierce intensity. "Spit it out man! We don't have time for weakness!"

"He has a...minion." A confused Hinata frowned in annoyance at the unnecessary profanity and doomsday antics as they both gasped dramatically.

"Damnit, this just became a Level 2 Threat. Evacuate immediately!" Kakashi bellowed.

Hinata was starting to get pissed. "Naruto-kun what is going on?"

"Hime, look at me, we have to leave," he hissed at her, flinching again and holding his head. "Now!"

"Naruto-kun I don't see anything, just Neji and his new teammates," she says, gesturing in exasperation toward the easily identifiable chakra signature she saw with her Byakugan.

"Neji is on HIS team!?" Naruto gaped, looking out into the forest. Kakashi solemnly places a hand over his heart, "Kami bless his soul."

"Naruto-kun it's not—" she was interrupted by three ninken bursting out of the underbrush and running full tilt at them yelling, "Kakashi! It's coming!" before poofing out of existence.

"Hime, save yourself!"

"You guys! You're being ridiculous—"

"Incoming! Abort! Abort!"

" _DY-NAMIC EN-TRY!_ "

A streak of green followed by a slightly smaller streak of green torpedoed into the area, shattering the two logs that Naruto and Kakashi had sacrificed in a last second _kawarimi_. As the dust settled Hinata squeaked and covered her eyes at the vast amount of extremely revealing spandex standing before her.

"What a glorious display of youth!" Roared the larger of the two obscene sights. "That was the best training scenario I have had since I became a jonin! So many youthful opponents!" The bushy browed maniac fist pumped as he turned to face his equally endowed companion. "Lee!"

"Gai-sensei?!" The smaller bowl haired boy smartly saluted.

"We must continue to seek out this tiny blond trainer! His youth is bountiful!"

"Hai Gai-sensei!" The pair suddenly flipped onto their hands and charged away.

A minute passed but Hinata did not dare lower her hands. Some things could not be unseen. "They're gone Imouto," a familiar voice said in flat tone. "It's safe to open your eyes now."

Hinata blinked hesitantly at the two young ninja standing before her. Her Niisan had a frustrated scowl on his face and the girl next to him looked utterly exhausted.

"Niisan," she whispered, "who was that?"

The Hyuga boy sighed heavily as he reached for his storage scroll from Naruto and unsealed two containers of water. Tossing one to the wheezing female genin next to him who snatched it out of the air and proceeded to chug the thing.

"An abomination of humanity."

Hinata eyed the girl who was still gulping the water and wondered if she would breathe anytime soon. "Your new Sensei?"

Neji nodded and without looking tossed the second water bottle at his teammate, who caught it blind and popped the top while still somehow guzzling, and seamlessly swapped the full bottle for the empty one without stopping.

"I see," she murmurs, still staring with mild awe at the bun-haired brunette, who finally finished her second bottle with deep head toss and panted as she wiped her mouth.

"Hi!" she breathes with a small smile and a weak wave. "You're Neji's cousin, huh? I'm Ten-Ten, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet y—" before Hinata can politely finish her own introduction the girl keeled over in a dead faint. But Neji was there, awkwardly catching her before she face planted.

"He is trying to kill us," he deadpans, uneasily working to maneuver the limp girl in his arms so that she didn't drool all over him. Hinata giggled as he finally managed get her in a sort of bridal style grip and carried her over to the shady grass.

"He seems...jolly," she tried to sound optimistic, while simultaneously attempting not to think about his...figure. _Maybe I can ask Ino-chan if she knows any memory erasing jutsu?_

Neji sighed as he straightened back up and unsealed his last water bottle, only to frown when nothing but drops trickled out into his mouth.

"Perhaps Naruto would be willing to make some more storage scrolls for my teammate. I think she would appreciate their usefulness," he says before gathering up the three empty bottles and heading for the nearby stream.

Hinata glanced over at the unconscious girl snoring away under the tree. "Maybe, _several_ more."

* * *

The sun was deep in the sky out on the horizon, casting two spiky haired shadows across the road. The shorter one turned to the taller, a contented look on his face as he rubbed his belly full of ramen. "You've been busy lately, Dog."

The lazily slouched jonin hummed as he put his hands in his pockets. "The Hokage assigned me a new genin team."

"Again huh? How's that going?" The blond leisurely crossed his hands behind his head as they turned a corner.

"Already gone. They failed the bell test," Kakashi answered easily, no regret whatsoever in his mind.

Naruto snickered, "Shit. You'd think they'd learn, that's how many teams now?"

"I lost count."

They continued on in companionable silence, both too full and too exhausted to expend energy on useless words. As they drew closer to his empty home, Naruto couldn't help but frown at the thought of the lonely rooms that awaited him. He eyed Dog out of the corner of his eye, wondering for the hundredth time what the man's answer would be if he dared to tell him about his idea. Pursing his lips in determination, he decided to try his luck.

"So, y'know, you don't always have to lurk around outside whenever you want to check on me," the boy said with as much casualness as he possible.

"I do not lurk, I am not a hunchback. I am stealthy, like a _ninja_. Jeez." Kakashi drawled. "And don't deny that you like the fact that I bother checking on you, Pup."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Naruto huffed without animosity, trying to save some of his dignity but unable to deny the truth of the statement.

"I don't sleep," the former ANBU mumbled.

Naruto looked at him closely, sensing that there was more behind the statement than just snark. Dog did look more relaxed these days compared to when he first ran into him all those years ago, but not necessarily well rested.

Naruto thought about the last big thunder storm that had blown through two weeks ago, when he had worriedly strained to feel out into the night for Dog and found Pakkun instead. The boy had insisted the poor ninken join him in the apartment, citing the miserable weather as the reason for the invitation and not his own childish unease. The canine had willingly obliged and in the morning Naruto had been pleased to find him still curled up at the foot of his bed. The same scenario repeated itself the next few nights, despite the lack of precipitation, and Naruto had thoroughly enjoyed having the presence of another nearby. But Pakkun was not a pet, he was a ninja summon, and with Dog's absence for his mission this last week, the lonesome nights had felt even more empty. It was while lying awake on one of those nights that the orphaned boy had come up with his proposal.

"Y'know," he started hesitantly, scuffing his shoe on the sidewalk. "Ero-sennin never comes around hardly ever. Even when he does he usually stays in town at the hotels. Says it has something to do with his research or whatever."

The tall ninja next to him giggled girlishly and Naruto squinted up at him in mild disgust. But he had to tread carefully with his request, so he didn't scold the avid fan.

"So, if you ever, y'know, wanna stop creeping around like a weirdo and come sleep in the extra room like a normal human, that'd be fine with me." Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly and looked away, not wanting the guy to see the hopefulness on his face and think he's some sort of weak little kid or something.

The man slowed his already meandering steps, hesitating before he answered. "You want me to stay? Like, the night?"

"..and Pakkun," Naruto clarified.

"And Pakkun?" Kakashi stared down at the shy way the kid was rubbing his neck. The gesture so reminded him of Minato-sensei that his heart ached with the memory of his mentor's loss. And now here was the man's son asking him to stay, to protect him, the same way his father had taken a desolate Kakashi under his wing after he lost his parent and teammates. He smiled under his mask at the growing boy, who still had a child's instinctual craving for security and companionship. _I see you, Pup. You don't have to hide the loneliness from me._

"I guess I can stay a couple nights," he said in a blasé way, passing on the temptation to amplify the kid's embarrassment by teasing him about being a scaredy cat.

"Really?!" All pretense of nonchalance was completely ruined with the overjoyed outburst.

"But you have to shower," he couldn't resist adding. "Everyday."

"Everyday?" Naruto recoiled in dismay. "That's just mean."

"It's sanitary."

"I'm not crazy."

"You are _insane_ if you think that I'm gonna share a place with you when you insist on being _unsanitary_." Perhaps he would tell Jiraiya to add a dictionary to the kid's library list.

"Whatever, you and your fancy words. Just don't bring any fleas into the house, ok?" Naruto snapped in an attempt to regain his pride.

"That was an insult to all of canine-kind," Kakashi retorted as they came to the bottom of the apartment building's stairs.

"You forget I have class with an Inuzuka. Why do you think I have a special stash of prank pouches filled with flea powder?"

"How hypocritically considerate of you to torture him with hygiene. I hope you enjoy it when karma bites you in the ass, because daily showers will be a thing from here on out."

"What language are you even speaking?"

The grinning pair continued to mockingly bicker as they entered their home.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This chapter contains descriptions of graphic violence.**

CHAPTER 13

He stormed out of the classroom with such velocity, the door banged into the wall hard enough to leave an imprint of the handle. He didn't notice, he didn't care, he was fuming, he was trying not to cry, and the turmoil in his gut was overwhelming. He had to get away, far away from this kami-forsaken place. He should have known, he should have seen this coming, he was so fucking stupid...

“Naruto! Naruto STOP!” He forced himself to pause, panting angrily, as Iruka-sensei trotted down the hallway towards him. The man placed a hand on the shaking boy’s shoulder. “Naruto you have to calm down!”

“How can you say that?!” he screamed, jerking away from the comforting touch. He stabbed an accusing finger back at the classroom, his whole body vibrating with indignation. “That was complete bullshit in there! A _kage bunshin_ is still a _bunshin_! I’m one of the best goddamned students in the whole class and that asshole FAILED ME ON A FUCKING TECHNICALITY!”

“NARUTO!” Iruka was gripping both of his shoulders now and nearly glaring into his eyes, begging him to calm down and think about this rationally. “I’m not disagreeing with you, but right now my hands are tied. After the exams are done I will go to the Hokage and discuss what happened. He can then decide whether substituting the _kage bunshin_ for the basic _bunshin_ is acceptable, ok? But you have to calm down!” His eyes strayed to the thickening whiskers on the boy’s face and he swallowed hard. “If you want to be a shinobi, then you have to realize that sometimes, even when we make all the right choices and give it our best, we still lose. But we always endure, and we never give up, remember?”

Naruto was still breathing heavily through flared nostrils, but the edge of insanity was gone from his anger. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists, struggling to accept the truth of his failure despite everything he had worked to accomplish.

Iruka saw his words of reason starting to take affect and his shoulders relaxed a bit. “I have faith in you Naruto-kun,” he encouraged his crushed student. “You will be an amazing shinobi some day, one way or another. And as your Sensei, it is my job to help you succeed. I don’t know why Mizuki-sensei is making such a big deal about this, but I will get it all cleared up.”

Naruto was barely containing his tumultuous emotions, but managed to nod and mumble a thank you before stalking away. Iruka-sensei had been awesome over the last year of academy; listening to Hime about sparring, giving him the attention he needed when his focus wandered off, and had even lined up Mizuki-sensei after that intense spar with Sasuke. The way the assistant instructor and vehemently refused to give him a passing grade for simply using a _kage bunshin_ , had shocked the aspiring genin. He thought they had forged a certain level of mutual respect ever since he’d blown everyone away by beating the precious Uchiha.

Iruka called out to the disappearing orange figure, “After I talk with the Hokage I will let you know what he decides. Try not to fly off the handle in the meantime ok?” He knows that he is asking for a lot of patience from the hyperactive boy. All of this kid’s dreams hinged on him becoming a genin, to deny him that hitae-ate would break his heart. With an air of determination, Iruka returned to the classroom to finish the rest of the exams and hurry to see the Hokage.

Hinata was nearly pacing with pre-test jitters in the cool summer shade of the schoolyard, chatting with an equally restless Ino-chan and Sakura-chan when she saw Naruto-kun storming out of the academy, and immediately knew that something was very wrong. His normally sunny countenance was dark and she could practically feel the anger emanating from him.

She darted over to his side and gently grabbed his hand, pulling him to a stop just before he could leap over the back fence. “Naruto-kun, what happened?” she demanded, tugging his rigid body around to look at his face.

“I failed," he spat out the foul tasting words. He can’t bring himself to look at her, agonizing shame fueling his barely suppressed outrage.

Hinata’s brain doesn't immediately process his words, _that’s impossible_. “H-How? You had all the jutsu down pat, I saw you execute them myself over and over...”

“Baka-sensei and his damn rules,” he growls, yanking his hand away and jumping up onto the fence. Hinata gaped up at his crouched figure, her heart aching for him, mind still trying to understand. Balanced on top of the schoolyard barrier, Naruto heaved a deep sigh and looked back over his shoulder. “Sorry Hime, I just need to get away from here,” his voice is hollow and raspy, like he is trying not to cry. “Don’t worry about me, ok? Just focus on your exam, I know you’ll do great.” Smiling ruefully down at her, he turned and leapt across the rooftops.

Hinata rubbed at the bandages on her forehead as she shuffled back to the small group of whispering girls, debating whether or not to chase after the distraught boy. At that moment Mizuki-sensei stepped out of the building and called, “Hyuga Hinata, it’s time to take your exam.” She robotically turns at the sound of her name, and quietly walks past the assistant instructor as he politely holds the door open and follows her inside.

“You’re worried about your friend, huh?” he asks in a caring tone.

Hinata doesn’t look up but nods her head, staring at the tiles on the floor as she walks down the hall. “I don’t know what could have happened,” she murmurs, her whole chest hurts just thinking about the dejected look in Naruto-kun’s vivid blue glare. “He practiced so hard...” she raises watery lavender eyes up to the sympathetic expression of the assistant instructor. Mizuki-sensei had been more than impressed with her progress over the last year, frequently complimenting her fighting style and Byakugan usage, and always treating her with nothing but kindness. Hinata hoped he respected her enough to not dodge the question in her eyes, and give an honest answer instead of dismissing her worries.

Mizuki makes a show of biting his lip like he’s trying not to say something, and terribly torn about it. Glancing down the hallway at the slightly ajar door of the classroom, he stops and leans over, suggesting that what he’s about to tell her needs to be kept a secret.

“There was an issue with his _kage bunshin_ ,” he says quickly in hushed tones. “No big deal, just a little technicality. But you know how Iruka-sensei can be, such a stickler for the rules, right? He always wants to make sure everything is fair.”

Hinata nodded slightly in vague understanding. It was true that Iruka-sensei was known for his careful judgment calls, such as making the spars co-ed, but this was the first time she had ever felt the need to question the wisdom of one of his decisions.

“Well, I think there is a way around it,” he continues, instantly regaining her rapt attention. “If a sensei signs a petition of supplemental examination on behalf of the student, they can qualify for a different type of test in the case that they do not pass the first one. It’s rarely done, mostly because if a student fails they usually deserve it, but in Naruto’s case...”

“Sensei!” her voice squeaked with desperate hope. “Could you fill out a petition for Naruto-kun?” Hinata clasped her hands to her chest so tightly the fingernails dug painfully into her palms. Without Naruto-kun, Hinata would not be standing here now, on the cusp of accomplishing her dreams. He had encouraged her, comforted her, pushed her, praised her, celebrated with her. If there was a way she could ensure the continuation of his goals, she would do just about anything to help her precious friend.

Mizuki-sensei smiled kindly down at the eager Hyuga and placed a quieting finger to his lips, reaching into the pocket of his chunin vest, he pulled out a piece of paper. “I already did! All he has to do is follow the instructions for the completion of the alternate practical examination, here on the bottom. Upon verified completion, the Hokage will then sign his approval, and Naruto will officially be a genin.”

Hinata snatched the paper out of his grasp and scanned the instructions at the bottom of the official looking document. “I see, it’s like a real life scenario, to test his critical thinking and practical skills.” She exhaled an anxious breath. This set up was textbook, they went over things like this all the time in class. Naruto-kun excelled in espionage and recon anyways, he would pass with flying colors for sure!

Mizuki-sensei nodded, glancing back at the classroom door. “Give that to Naruto and tell him to be ready to start at sundown, that way we’ll have time to clear it with the Hokage and set everything up.”

Hinata’s relief was so intense she could hardly think straight, and nearly turned to leave before remembering that she still had to finish her own exam first. “Thank you Sensei!” she beamed up at him, quickly tucking the precious piece of paper into her khaki jacket. “Naruto-kun won’t forget this!”

As she nearly skipped into the classroom, Mizuki smirked to himself. “I’m sure he won’t.”

* * *

Naruto leaned back against the rock with his arms crossed, staring apathetically out over the city of Konoha from his view on top of the Yondaime’s head. He had almost retreated to the little training ground, but Neji was there and he didn’t want to have to explain the degrading cause of his foul mood to the Hyuga prodigy. Watching the shadows lengthen and creep across the rocky spikes of carved hair, his anger had melted into a heavy sadness that the boy barely kept at bay with the fragile hope that Iruka-sensei would somehow come through and salvage his dream of becoming a shinobi, and eventually earning his own stone visage on the Hokage monument where he waited.

His senses tingled and even in his melancholic state he couldn’t help but smile at the comforting feeling of the approaching chakra signature. As she easily scaled the face of the monument and landed next to him, he greeted her with the best smile he could manage. “Hey Hime, come to try and cheer up a sulking loser?”

His eyes landed on the shining new hitae-ate tied around her slender neck. “You passed!” he grinned, genuinely happy for his best friend. “Of course you did! Damn, and here I am being such a killjoy, c’mon I’ll buy you dinner to celebr—”

“Naruto-kun there’s no time!” she exclaimed, finally catching her breath after having run full tilt from the academy, to the training grounds, to his apartment, where she had finally been able to spot him way up here with her Byakugan.

Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and her eyes danced. “I talked to Sensei, there is another way for you to pass the exam!”

Now he was all ears, and straightened up, daring to let hope blossom in his chest. “You talked to Sensei? What did he say? Was my _kage bunshin_ ok after all?”

Hinata grimaced a bit, “well not exactly, but he submitted a petition for an alternate exam on your behalf.” She was digging into her deep coat pockets as she hurriedly spoke. “If you can complete it, then the Hokage will approve you as a genin.” Triumphantly she produced a document, snapping it open in his face and pointing urgently at the bottom.

Naruto forced his reeling mind to slow down as he skimmed over the technical mumbo-jumbo, focusing on the scenario description at the bottom.

It was a mock infiltration and recovery mission: sneak in, steal a scroll, sneak out, deliver the scroll. If he stayed undetected and completed the mission, he passed. It was a piece of cake. Stealth was his specialty. _I’ll have to tell Iruka-sensei thank you for sticking up for me so I could have a second chance_ , he thought, feeling foolish for ever doubting his faithful Sensei.

“I’ve heard of people getting promoted to chunin or jonin for accomplishments in the field rather than passing the exams. I didn’t realize they had a genin version of it too, makes sense though.” Naruto chuckled as he tapped the precious paper in his hands, “you wont catch me complaining!”

“Do your best Naruto-kun, I believe in you!”

* * *

Iruka rounded the corner of the Hokage tower with resolute steps. After finally finishing up the last of the paperwork from the exams today, he was ready to go debate with the Sandaime over Naruto’s test results. He had been mentally rehearsing his argument and felt like he had a good chance of convincing the The Professor that the ever determined boy deserved the rank of genin, despite the technicality. He still couldn’t believe that Mizuki would pull something like this. They had been working together so well ever since his little “talk”. Why would he do this now? What motive could he possibly have?

Looking up he noticed Hinata pacing anxiously near the entrance to the tower, staring with her Byakugan towards the west as though looking for someone. She sees him approaching from the opposite direction and sprints his way with a look of urgent anticipation etched onto her face.

“Is it over Sensei? Did Naruto-kun do it? Is he a genin now?” Her words tripped over each other as they spilled out of her mouth.

“Uh, well, not exactly,” the chunin answers uneasily, imagining how disappointed the loyal friend must have been upon learning of Naruto’s failure. “I’m actually on my way to see the Hokage right now and the clear up a misunderstanding about his _kage bunshin_.”

Hinata looked thoroughly confused. “Not that exam, the second one. Did he not retrieve the scroll?”

Now it was Iruka’s turn to look confused. “Second exam? There is no second exam. Mizuki-sensei failed Naruto for using a _kage bunshin_ instead of a basic _bunshin_. I’m going to the Hokage to discuss the fact that I think it should still be allowed.”

“But, Mizuki-sensei said _you_ failed him,” she said in a small voice, a sinking feeling growing in her gut. “Why would he fail Naruto-kun and then try to help him by offering to set up a second exam?” Panic started to lace her tone and her fingers were nervously tugging on her new hitae-ate. “He lied to me and sent Naruto on a pointless assignment. Why would he trick us like that?”

Iruka tried to keep his voice calm as he sorted through the newest revelation of his coworker’s underhanded actions. “Hinata, what was the second exam Mizuki wanted Naruto to complete?”

Again searching the western side of the village with her bloodline, she refocused on the chunin’s stern face. “I-it was a mock scenario, to t-test his critical thinking and stealth. He had to steal a Scroll of Sealing from the Hokage Tower and d-deliver it to the proctor,” she answered, her old stutter returning with her rising alarm. Worriedly she returns to frantically scanning the western horizon, veins bulging at her temples, and growls in frustration when she sees nothing. “We thought it was j-just a dummy scroll, planted for the sake of the t-test. Iruka-sensei, what is Mizuki going to do with Naruto-kun?”

“I’m not sure, but this isn’t good,” Iruka was rapidly connecting the dots and not liking where this was going at all. “Where were they supposed to meet?”

“The west edge of the f-forest,” Hinata nearly stomped her feet over her stupid struggle to get out the words, something was wrong with Naruto-kun, and she had to help stop it. “I’ll go with you! I c-can use my Byakugan to find them f-faster.”

“No,” Iruka shook his head, if this was leading in the direction he feared, the last thing he wanted was more children in the line of fire. “Go to the Hokage, explain everything. I’ll go find Naruto, hopefully before this all blows out of control,” and with a gust of leaves, he disappeared in a _shunshin_.

“Hai Sensei,” she choked out to the empty air, pressing a hand to her mouth to stifle the frightened sobs that threatened to escape. She couldn’t collapse now, Naruto-kun needed her. She had unknowingly led him into some sort of trap and now she had to stay strong and fix it. _Never give up, I won’t give up, hang on Naruto-kun!_

* * *

Everyone felt it to some degree. The pulse, the wave of pressure that washed up your chest and trickled down your back like the icy fingers of the Shinigami.

The civilians saw the wind, that suddenly whipped up through the streets, rattling wind chimes in a harsh, unholy clashing of discordant music. Like the devil’s own melody was being carried on the sudden gust.

The younger shinobi felt the surge in their gut, and paused, mid task, mind grasping to make sense of the irrationally sudden fear and adrenaline that flowed in their veins and seemed to thicken the breath in their lungs.

The survivors, they _knew_. Their souls remembered the burn of the vile chakra as it poisoned the very atmosphere; the reverberating roar that clawed at their brains like the shriek of a demon legion. The crippling sensation of hope being sucked from the hearts of men.

Kakashi fell to his knees, and vomited onto the apartment rooftop where he had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Naruto after his exam, wondering what was taking so long. He coughed and spit, turning to the west from where the toxic sensation was flowing. His voice cracked in disbelief, “No.”

* * *

Hinata stumbled and missed the next tree branch completely, barely catching herself on the trunk with her chakra before she snapped her neck on the next limb. Gasping, she looked up toward her western destination, dread filling her as she activated her Byakugan, intuition telling her to run away as though her life depended on it. She refused to give in to the feeling of foreboding, and launched her body forwards with a surge of adrenaline and chakra, propelling herself through the forest in the direction her every instinct was screaming against. _Naruto-kun_ , she begged, _hold on, I’m coming_.

* * *

Kakashi raced through the trees with the blinding speed of an elite ANBU as he fought back painful memories of his teammates, and how they had slipped through his fingers. Rin’s face, twisted in grief as she begged him to kill her, to kill a piece of himself, to do it for the sake of the village. Obito commanding him to leave, to walk away and let him die alone, and leave a piece of himself behind. Naruto was all he had in this world, all the pieces he had left were tied to that boy. He landed with a knee and a fist planted solidly into the earth, and his eyes widened at the awful scene.

There was blood everywhere. The body of what looked to be the assistant sensei from the academy lay crumpled in a heap at the base of a tree. His neck was slashed open, releasing a river of crimson down a deathly pale chest, which was marred with a disturbing black pattern that was rapidly retreating before Kakashi’s eyes back into an inky seal branded into the corpse’s limp neck.

Naruto was groaning and whimpering like a wounded animal in the center of the small clearing, pacing protectively around a brown haired shinobi. A massive fuma shuriken was deeply impaled in the fallen man’s back, nearly protruding through his chest on the other side. Iruka’s irregular, wet gasping told Kakashi that the chunin would soon be dead if he didn’t get help immediately.

Crimson chakra frothed and bubbled off the jinchuriki’s skin, a clawed hand clutched his limp right arm, that was clearly dislocated with the bone grotesquely bulging under the skin, rendering the limb useless for any kind of hand seals or defense. His eyes were fiery red, slitted, and feral as a fox when they turned to seize upon the Copy Nin who had his Sharingan exposed and spinning. Snarling like a threatened animal, the mindless boy bared his long, sharp incisors in an attempt to guard his fallen companion from this newest intruder.

“Naruto, Pup, its me, Dog,” he said in a cautiously light tone. “It’s ok, I’m here now, you don’t have to be scared anymore,” Kakashi crouched and extended his arms in a posture of submission any creature would understand, while trying to get the overwhelmed boy to lock eyes with him. Naruto was obviously warring with his mind for control of his body, and the severely injured teacher was making the fight for sanity a losing battle. “Look at me Naruto,” Kakashi pleaded, reaching out his hands. “See me Pup, fight through the hate, come back to me.”

His blond hair stood on end, hackles raised in defense of the perceived threat, but at the sound of the vaguely familiar voice, his face relaxed infinitesimally, fear replacing the fury in his slitted eyes. Encouraged, Kakashi slid forward a step, palms up and open, showing he had no weapons. “Thats right Pup, I just want to help you,” the boy shook his head as if trying clear himself from a haze. “Please, come back Naruto, I can’t lose you too.”

Another step, and another. Then all at once the boiling chakra rippled and surged over the boy’s body and he screamed, doubling over as though something was ripping him open from the inside out. Kakashi instinctively dove for him, terrified of what was happening and desperate to ease his suffering. But the sudden movement caused the possessed boy to panic and lash out with his good arm, nearly slicing Kakashi from shoulder to hip. As he skid backwards on the dirt, the jonin watched in devastation as the whiskers darkened even more, and Naruto let loose a heart rending roar of pain and rage.

_Sharingan no Kakashi_ felt hot tears burn his eyes, as his chakra pulsed, and the Mangekyo whirled. “Please, Pup,” he croaked, selfishly wishing he could just let the boy kill him and end the misery of going through life knowing he had caused the death of another precious person. “Don’t make me do this. Don’t make me do this again.” Electricity danced down his arm, erupting from his shaking fist with the screech of a thousand birds.

A rumbling growl rolled from his chest as Naruto planted his feet and hunched his back, poised to charge. Kakashi’s throat closed in heartbreaking dismay as he watched a ghostly red tail emerge and thrash through the air. “Naruto...” his voice whispered, and his soul cried out with grief.

The savage boy lunged like a wild cat pouncing on his prey. Kakashi couldn’t move. Couldn’t retaliate. Couldn’t defend. Couldn’t function.

“NOOO!” It was only because of his active Sharingan that Kakashi knew the blur which collided with the rampaging jinchuriki was actually Hyuga Hinata. She descended from the canopy above like a bolt of lightning, tackling him head on with a powerful _juken_ that curled his enflamed body around her with the force of its impact. She caught the burning, chakra covered figure against her, nearly collapsing from the weight of his burden. He recoiled from her embrace, but she dug her fingers into his back, refusing to release him, despite the wild thrashing of his claws. Instead she grasped him harder, burying her face into his heaving chest.

“This...isn’t...you,” she choked out, forcing her chakra to flood every tenketsu in her body, enveloping her in its purple hued glow. Kakashi watched with his borrowed bloodline, astounded, as the river of Hinata’s chakra doused the flames of Naruto’s hell. The boiling chakra simmered and evaporated, blending with her cooling aura into a harmony of perfect balance. The claws retracted, the oppressive miasma lifted from the air. Lifting her soothing lavender gaze to look directly into his hollow scarlet eyes, Hinata placed her hands on his cheeks, running her thumbs over his shrinking whiskers the same way he rubbed away her own tears when she had been broken.

Guttural gasps became panting sobs. Clear blue eyes flowed with tears as the last threads of insanity lost their hold and broke. He clung to her redemptive embrace with the fervor of a drowning man as her purity drove the last drops of evil away, leaving a trembling boy standing in place of the raging demon.

She pulled his forehead down to tap her own, touching her cursed seal to his perspiring brow and repeated the same words he had spoken to her soul on that day when the laundry blew in the wind.

“I see you,” she whispered. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. I’m your friend no matter what.”

* * *

Naruto slipped into the hospital room, his chakra was tamped down to near nonexistence, and he timed his steps to the beeping of the monitor in an effort to further disguise his movements. If the nurses caught him sneaking out of bed again, they would probably stitch him up in his sheet.

A lump formed in his throat as he looked over the bandaged form of his Sensei, the man’s shallow breathing sounding raspy in the quiet room. He remembered very little of what had happened, but from what Hime and Dog had told him, combined with terrible flashes of recollection, it was enough for him to know that he owed this man his life.

It had taken a few days for him to work up the courage to face his savior. He had been tremendously ashamed of all the damage and trauma he had brought upon his precious people, unable to even look Dog in the eye until Hime and nearly slapped his cheek with exasperation. Pinching his face painfully hard in her hand until his lips had puckered, she had sternly scolded him. “This is what friends are for Naruto-kun,” she had chastised while shaking his head with each word she spoke and he stared at her with wide azure eyes. “You would do the same for us. Besides, nobody is perfect. I messed up too, and you easily forgave me, now you have to forgive yourself. You are still Naruto-kun, no matter what they say.”

His Hime was right, but it was a lot harder to put yet another harrowing experience behind him now that he knew what could happen if he ever lost control and understood the reason why he was always so hated.

As he had peeked at the supposedly fake scroll, that bastard Mizuki had attacked him, unleashing a powerful, dark chakra from an evil looking seal which morphed the benign assistant instructor into a bestial figure of inhumanity that left the aspiring genin struggling to survive the vicious assault. In his fright at the horrifying state of the wrathful monster, Naruto couldn’t sufficiently steady his chakra to spawn shadow clones fast enough to find an escape. They were being destroyed in waves by the seething creature. His _kawarimi_ had been the only thing saving him. Then the beast had grabbed his arm, twisting it out of its socket and tossing him into a tree, spewing curses and calling him the _Kyuubi no Yoko_ , the curse of all shinobi, a damned jinchuriki who would be better off dead. Naruto had tried to deny the accusations, but something within him, _someone_ within him, had laughed deeply in a voice he recognized from his nightmares and hissed the truth. **You cannot escape me. I will make you the living embodiment of my hatred.**

In that moment, when Naruto had been frozen in shell-shocked disbelief, Mizuki had hurled a fuma shuriken meant to end his days on this earth. But miraculously Iruka-sensei was there, hovering over him, protecting him, bleeding on him, collapsing on him, and then suddenly the world went red.

Even now the feel of Sensei’s warm blood dripping onto his face made bile rise up the back of Naruto’s throat. Taking a deep breath he forced his stomach down and his thoughts back to the present, focusing on the pale scarred face in front of him.

He must have flinched during his reverie, because Iruka’s eyes blinked open and focused on his timid blond visitor. A weak smile stretched across his tired face, and he gestured for Naruto to come closer.

Hesitantly approaching the head of the hospital bed, Naruto tried to return the smile, but his mouth just wouldn’t stop trembling.

“Why, Sensei?” he asked meekly. “Why would you do that for me?”

“Because we are the same,” Iruka answered with conviction, but Naruto only huffed.

“I am nothing like you, Sensei. I’m a monster...” blond hair blocked his eyes as he slouched his shoulders in shame, until he felt a warm hand rest firmly on top of his spiked hair.

“You are Uzumaki Naruto. An orphan, a prankster, a soul that is desperate to be seen, a capricious student, just like me. And now...” with a proud smile Iruka reached over to the small table next to him, grabbed something off the top of a pile of his folded clothes, and then reached up to tie it around Naruto’s hanging head.

“...a shinobi of The Leaf.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Chapter 14

Hiruzen sat slumped in the large leather chair at his desk, papers once again strewn across the top in a chaotic pattern that made sense only to himself. However this evening it was not petitions for funding or lengthy mission documents that were demanding his attention, but the academy stat sheets of the newest group of graduating genin, and he was trying to organize the myriad of personalities and talents into coherent teams.

Usually this detailed task fell to the sensei of the graduating class, who best understood each individual's strengths, weaknesses, and connections. The Hokage would simply put his stamp of approval on the whole thing, unless he was aware of some unique situation that required greater attention. But with Iruka still considered critically injured in the hospital, and that traitor Mizuki unregrettably gone, neither of the instructors for the newly minted genin were available to offer advice.

The aged shinobi sighed for what felt like the thousandth time, musing over recent events as much as the task that lay before him. Handling the emergency council meeting called yesterday to address the pulse of demonic chakra that swept through the village, had been precarious as a tightrope walk over crocodile infested rapids. Hiruzen had needed to assuage the council's fears, answer their questions, and at the same time protect Naruto's reputation and future.

The advisors had been in favor of completely removing the jinchuriki from the ranks of shinobi, with Danzo leading the outcry that Naruto was a danger to his fellow ninja and needed to be trained to eliminate his emotions in order to prevent any future outbursts.

Hiruzen had been worried that the Clan Leaders would jump to support this opinion, since it would be their own children and heirs who would be working side by side with the boy. So in an effort to offer maximum transparency and also showcase the honorable motives, actions, and achievements of Naruto, the Hokage had decided to keep his statements as close to the truth as possible, all the while thanking Kami that he had removed the civilians from the council meetings years ago. They were unaware that the sudden shift of wind which briefly swept through town was in any way associated with the kyuubi, and he meant to keep it that way.

After a succinct yet thorough explanation of the unfair disqualification of Naruto's _kage bunshin_ ; the falsification of a second exam by Mizuki with the intent to use the boy to steal the Scroll of Sealing and deliver it to Orochimaru; the heroic act of defense by Iruka on behalf of his student; the subsequent retaliation by Naruto, who used the kyuubi's chakra to eliminate a danger to the village whose threat escalated substantially with the use of some type of curse seal; and Naruto's subsequent cessation of the use of demonic chakra before anyone other than the traitor was wounded, Hiruzen had stood and panned a sharp glare across the assembled council. Daring them to challenge his declaration that the boy had done exactly what any shinobi should do in that situation, utilizing the skills available to him to defeat the enemy quickly and efficiently.

"Hokage-sama, you said yourself that he murdered his own teacher while under the influence of the Kyuubi," Danzo pressed. "Unless he is trained to shut down his emotions, he will not be able to control the demon, and thus cannot be allowed to continue to participate in shinobi missions."

"You twist my words, Shimura. Hatake Kakashi stated in his report that when he arrived on the scene Naruto was actively guarding Iruka-sensei, having eliminated the traitor who had made an obvious attempt to kill them both," Hiruzen snapped. "Iruka confirmed upon regaining consciousness that Naruto did not tap into the demonic chakra after the attack on his own person, but only when Mizuki had attacked his sensei. The boy has demonstrated the exact reaction we strive to engrain into all of our shinobi, especially jinchuriki: to protect The Leaf and its people at all costs."

"Perhaps we should summon Jiraiya-sama," Nara Shikaku had calmly cut in. "Have him check the boy's seal, and assess his control to see if he is ready for some extra training to learn to either utilize or suppress the kyuubi chakra."

Akamichi Choza nodded in agreement with his longtime teammate. "My son has told me that Naruto has never lashed out at a classmate in an unreasonable manner, despite often being treated disrespectfully by his peers."

"When one considers the mental impact of what the boy has already endured in his life," added Yamanaka Inoichi, as he thoughtfully considered the psychological aspect of the situation, "the fact that he has never had a lapse of control until now, and only under such extreme circumstances, is highly commendable. If anything, it shows a uniquely strong state of mind, not the opposite."

"Besides, you wouldn't want him to be a damn robot," Inuzuka Tsume snorted as she crossed her arms. "It is important to have adrenaline and emotions to power our convictions and keep us pushing through a hellish fight."

Hiruzen had felt the tension in his shoulders ease at the shifting tone of the meeting. The advisors, unable to refute the arguments of the growing majority, had begrudgingly agreed that if Jiraiya could give his stamp of approval to the state of the Yondaime's seal, Naruto could be included in the ranks of Konoha's shinobi. As the group had filed out of the council chambers, the Hokage surreptitiously observed Hyuga Hiashi. The Clan Head had voiced no real opinion during the discussion, and seemed as satisfied as the rest with the decisions made. Hiruzen was pleased with the apathetic response, he had taken care to keep Hinata's name out of the report, knowing that Hizashi had assiduously kept her identity as the new Hyuga genin hidden from the Main House. His lack of response confirmed to the Hokage that the Clan Head remained unaware, keeping Hinata off his radar.

With the trial of appeasing the council behind him, Hiruzen's next concern had been the long term welfare of the boy himself. When the Hokage had visited him in the hospital, Naruto had taken the news of the severity of Iruka's injuries understandably hard, and combined with the alarming revelation about how close the wild jinchuriki had come to attacking Kakashi, the fourteen-year-old had been wracked with guilt and self doubt. Despite the positive picture he had painted for the council, the cumulative emotional burden of the betrayal and fight had Hiruzen worried about the potential impact on Naruto's impressionable young mind.

His mounting worry had left him restless, so Hiruzen had finally gone himself to the small apartment where the genin was recovering under Kakashi's watchful eye. As he had approached the door that evening, he had paused to assess the traps carefully hidden around it, when the sound of a soft female voice had reached his ears. Curiosity peaked, the old shinobi had used a bit of chakra to make his way over to the window on the side of the building to catch a glimpse of who else had come to visit, and smiled broadly at what he had seen.

On the couch lounged Hinata, her legs draped across Naruto's lap as he studiously scribbled in a notebook that appeared to be filled with half formed seals and formulas. Her head was reclined on the arm of the couch, midnight hair tied up in a messy bun, as she calmly read out loud from Jiraiya's book _Tales of a Gutsy Ninja_. On the floor nearby lay Pakkun, snoring contentedly on the cushions of the _chabudai_. Kakashi sat at the table, lazily sliding a whet stone down the edges of his kunai.

The innocent, warm domesticity of the scene had made The God of Shinobi's battle hardened heart melt a bit. The two young genin may have had a harrowing welcome to the life of a ninja, but they were not alone. Despite their youth they had already figured out that the most important part of surviving this life was treasuring the bonds they have built. His inquisitive gaze landed on a new picture in a frame that hung by the door, of a smiling scar faced chunin proudly standing with his class.

Retreating back to the front door, Hiruzen had hesitated again, but this time at the thought of disturbing the peaceful equilibrium of the little home. The sound of footsteps and grumbling coming up the stairs caught his attention. Turning, he was greeted by Hyuga Neji, arriving to deliver a dinner prepared by Hiro-san for the children. The boy was shocked out of his murmured rant about always having to be the delivery boy when he laid eyes on The Sandaime himself standing outside the humble dwelling, but quickly invited him to join them. How could Hiruzen turn down an offer like that?

The meal had been a cramped affair, but no one seemed to care and Hiruzen couldn't remember the last time he had smiled so much. By the time Hinata and Neji had left, his cheeks were aching.

Then they had gotten down to business, and between The Professor and the Copy Nin, they had answered as many of Naruto's questions as they felt they safely could.

"So, the Kyuubi isn't dead after all," the normally dancing blue eyes had sharpened in intense consideration of all the new knowledge. "The Yondaime sealed him into me, and when I lost control of my anger, I also lost control of the seal?" Naruto questioned, his hand fisted over his stomach. He had been aware that the tattoo on his abdomen was actually a seal ever since he had started learning fuuinjutsu, but was only able to determine it was a chakra binding construct of some sort. The detailed swirls were a shortened version of a supremely complex formula that he had not been able to decipher, and questioning Jiraiya had led to a dead end.

"Not exactly," Hiruzen corrected. "The seal was intentionally made to slowly weaken over time, gradually allowing you more and more access to the Kyuubi's chakra as you grew older. That was why we were planning on waiting until you were a genin before we told you about your...tenant. We wanted you to have a good foundation of manipulating your own chakra before you attempted to play with the kyuubi's fire."

"During the battle in the forest, you unconsciously tapped into that pool of demonic chakra," Kakashi added. "It's power comes from and feeds off of hatred, enhancing it to the point where you are immensely powerful yourself, but also a slave to the emotion."

"So I become stupid strong, but then I lose myself." Naruto surmised with a sigh, closing his eyes in solemn understanding of the gravity of the situation. The older shinobi had both waited, studying his expression as different emotions passed over his whiskered face. "Why did he choose me?" he finally asked in a low voice.

"Because you are our best hope to tame the kyuubi," stated a new, strong voice coming from the direction of the window. Everyone turned to see Jiraiya entering the room via his favorite method, looking rather proud of himself for having successfully disarmed the traps. Taking a seat at the table he grabbed a leftover ball of rice and popped it in his mouth before he continued. "Uzumaki may not have been your birth name, but it is part of your ancestry. Because of their naturally large chakra stores and longevity, they have historically been the most successful jinchuriki. The wife of the Shodaime, Uzumaki Mito, was the first to hold the kyuubi prisoner."

Naruto blinked, he had never considered the idea that his name wasn't his own, but he guessed it made sense. Jiraiya had warned him long ago that his father had earned himself many enemies who would be more than willing to eliminate his son. "So, I'm related to the first Hokage's wife?" He couldn't help but prod for more details on anything related to his family.

"Yes and no," Hiruzen answered, wanting to prevent him from straying too far down that road just yet. "You are from the same clan, but not the same family. Like Hinata-chan and Hiro-san." Naruto nodded in comprehension and leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. Turning back to Jiraiya he asked, "So, how do I defeat the kyuubi?"

"No clue," he answered casually, inhaling another rice ball.

"What?!" Naruto squawked in disbelief. "How did the other jinchuriki do it?"

"They never did," the Sannin shrugged. "Oh sure they learned to manipulate a certain amount of his chakra without losing their minds, but completely dominating the demon himself? Never been done." Jiraiya reached for the teapot in the middle of the table. "I have heard rumors the jinchuriki of Kumo have managed to tame their tailed beasts, but neither of their demons are as strong as the Nine-tails."

"Our relations with The Hidden Cloud Village have not been the best ever since the Hyuga Incident," Hiruzen added, gravely running a hand over his goatee. "I doubt they would be willing to share any secrets or offer Naruto-kun assistance."

"Even so," Kakashi said in an unusually assertive tone. "It takes a person of strong will and solid mind to withstand the influence of the kyuubi and his chakra. You have shown great potential in both those areas, and we believe you can eventually overpower him."

Listening closely to his three mentors, the young genin could hear the truth in their words and feel the reassuring boost of their faith. But a voice whispered in his heart that there was more to all of this, there was something to be found underneath the underneath.

"Perhaps there is another way," Naruto quietly spoke, a look of contemplation on his face that emphasized the way the boy was rapidly turning into a young man. Kakashi held his breath as he watched the blue eyes light up with eagerness as the gears in his head turned. He was uncannily similar to his father, but with the bubbling optimism and outgoing personality of Kushina-senpai. He remembered a time he had seen the two spar, it was spectacular sight. Kushina's red chakra coat had danced around her like a ghostly shroud, accentuating the whirling style of combat native to her Uzumaki heritage. Minato's flashing _Hiraishin_ had lit up the training ground like a lightening storm, the power behind his strikes serving as the echoing thunder. They were magnificent, fearsome, and bordering on godly when collaborating. Together they had sealed a demonic beast that only the mighty _Mokuton_ of the Shodaime had been able to contain. And now the outrageously powerful threesome of The Yellow Flash, The Red-Hot Blooded Habanero, and the Nine-Tailed Demon had been combined into this lanky teenager with a mischievous gleam in his eye. This boy truly was a powder keg of potential.

Standing up to his full height, Naruto struck a pose of authority that would do the Yondaime justice, and with a firm voice declared "I will cut off his power at the very source. I will end the hatred that dwells within the Kyuubi." The three men gazed upon him with open mouths and wide eyes. This was not the whimsical wish of a naive child's day dream. This was a sworn oath of honor, pledged by a shinobi who would lay down his life in the effort of its fulfillment. The specters of his parents seemed to stand at his back as he clenched his fist over his heart and faced the three men who had never doubted him, and he smiled at them in his uniquely Naruto way that seemed to chase away the shadows with its shine. "I will free the _Kyuubi no Yoko_ and The Hidden Leaf of their hatred, and become a Hokage whom all will respect."

If the Copy Nin had been anyone else, had not personally known Naruto since he was a child and seen the way he endured the hatred of others and yet continued to hope, to never give up, and strive to make the world around him a better place, he might have laughed at the ridiculous statement. But this was the unpredictable Uzumaki Naruto they were talking about. Glancing over at the other two men at the table he had smiled to see them both looking at the blond with the same expression of nostalgia mixed with awe. They saw the same thing, heard the same words, and held the same faith. "If anyone can do it, you can, Pup," Kakashi voiced the opinion of them all with a rare grin that was so big it could be seen through his mask.

"Believe it, dattebayo!"

Smiling at the memory of the entertaining and inspiring evening, the Hokage once again forced himself to refocus on the task at hand. The future hopes of the village rested on his shoulders, and he needed to uphold his responsibility to them. Starting with the obvious, he separated out the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. At least Team Ten was a no brainer. He decides to give them to his son. A small amount of fatherly vindictiveness had him hoping that a measure of the torture Asuma's teenage attitude had inflicted upon Hiruzen would be returned to the newly reformed punk through the wildly different personalities of the Yamanaka and Nara heirs. Plus the Akamichi's appetite would keep the guy's wallet empty enough to ensure he wouldn't be skipping town again any time soon. _Hee hee_.

He placed Uchiha Sasuke to the side, as the top male genin he would be on Team Seven with Hatake Kakashi, the only other Sharingan user left in Konoha. Wherever Kakashi went, Naruto was sure to follow, so he placed the other heavy hitting genin in that pile as well. Of the other top prospects this left two boys and two girls.

The boys were both skilled trackers from clans that had strong reputations for excelling in that area, they would compliment each other well. He places Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino in another pile for Team Eight with Yuhi Kurenai, who was a new sensei this year.

That left two kunoichi: Haruno Sakura, and Hyuga Hinata. Hiruzen sighed and gnawed on the stem of his pipe. The girls were as different as night and day, but cumulative scores had them ranked equally.

Sakura had blossomed into quite the academic, finding that long hours in the library were much more up her alley than rolling in the dirt at the training grounds, unless she was fighting another fangirl, in which case the claws came out. She was sharp, analytical, but mixed with Naruto as well as oil mixed with water. Iruka's reports had made mention of her obsession with the Uchiha, which would undoubtedly have annoyed the serious boy. But if she could learn to get along with her teammates, they would be a well balanced team with two heavy hitters and one planner with an eye for detail.

Hinata on the other hand had an established bond with Naruto that went much deeper than teammates. The two were in sync in a way that even Iruka noted elevated their productivity when they worked together. She was the calm to Naruto's storm, and he was the fuel for her fire, as recent events had more than demonstrated. Her sentiments toward the Uchiha appeared nonexistent, in fact it seemed she may even harbor some animosity towards him for the dirty tactics he used in a spar with Naruto way back in the academy. Additionally, with two boys who were bound to butt heads, a calm presence to smooth over fights would be advantageous. The temptation of placing her on Team Eight with the Inuzuka and the Aburame was strong though. The three would make for an elite team of trackers, combining the sight, smell, and sense of their respective skills. It was a dream team the likes of which Konoha had not seen since the days of the Kyuubi disaster.

Hiruzen groaned. _I'm getting too old for this_.

A knock sounded on the door and at his call a woman entered with shining red eyes that had hidden motive written all over them. She was clutching something behind her back as she approached his desk."Hokage-sama, I was just coming to check in with you about the genin teams. It is my first group and I just wanted to tell you how thankful I am for the wonderful opportunity."

Hiruzen nodded and raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Of course Kurenai-san, your resume was more than qualified to take on the challenge. I was just working on the teams as we speak actually."

"Oh really?" she says with way too much innocence. "You wouldn't happened to have assigned the young Hyuga girl to a team yet, would you?"

"I have not. What makes you ask?"

A gleam came to her eye and she stepped forward, smugly sliding a small box onto the Hokage's desk. "I have heard about her skills and motivations, I would be honored to have the opportunity to foster such a talented young kunoichi. The Leaf needs more ambitious women in its ranks," her hand lifted the lid of the humidor to reveal five rare tobacco cigars all the way from the Land of Grass. Hiruzen's eyes danced as his fingers skittered across his desk to snatch up one of the aromatic smokes, inhaling deeply as he brought it up to his nose.

"I agree completely, she has great potential, just like all the kunoichi of this class. They are a unique bunch, this particular group," he answered politically, continuing to inspect the delicious tobacco in front of him.

"Exactly Hokage-sama! And I assure you, I will give Hinata all the attention she needs to become—"

"I KNEW IT!" Kakashi was suddenly leaping through the window, finger pointed in accusation at the shocked duo. "COLLUSION!"

Hiruzen was trying not to blush and slowly sliding the box toward the fold of his robe.

"Shove it Hatake!" the raven haired jonin changed from sweet molasses to burning spice in the blink of an eye. "You've had your pick of every class for the last three years and tossed them all. I have a request for a single student and you're gonna throw a hissy fit? Mind your own business!"

"And what is that?" the Copy Nin didn't even break eye contact with her red glare as he jerked his head in the direction of the disappearing humidor.

"Nothing." Kurenai and Hiruzen said in unison.

"COLLUSION!"

Kurenai refused to back down, even in the face of this elite former ANBU. "She needs me, Kakashi! Look, I'm not trying to be greedy, I've read her case file. Hinata needs a strong female role model to show her how to deal with all the emotional damage that fucking Clan has inflicted upon her. I can help her on and off the mission field. I didn't become a sensei just so I could build some super sick team to gloat about. I want to help these kids. And I know I can help her."

"She has a point," Hiruzen mumbled, rummaging through his drawers for the cigar cutter. He thinks he can smell something beyond just tobacco in the fusiform treasure and he could totally use some of that shit right now.

The masked shinobi is shaking his head in rebuttal. "If you are insinuating that I am too emotionally damaged and mentally traumatized to possibly understand the mind of an innocent child...then you are exactly right. I am just fucked up enough to totally understand the messed up thoughts going through their little heads to teach them how to cope with all the bullshit without turning into a soulless soldier who just follows orders. Plus, Hinata and Naruto have a bond that's irreplaceable, they absolutely cannot be separated."

"He has a point," Hiruzen said, snapping his fingers to light his freshly clipped stogie.

"Then I'll take them both," she says with finality, lifting her chin in the air with a demeanor of confidence that was more faked than she wanted to admit. Kurenai had heard of the unpredictable jinchuriki, and that was a can of worms she wasn't sure she could keep the lid on. Kakashi burst out into harshly forced laughter at the declaration, dragging out the exaggerated charade of humor for several awkwardly long minutes as Kurenai crossed her arms and scowled at him. Dramatically wiping a fake tear from his single eye, he abruptly stopped and fixed her with a completely serious face, "—over my dead body, Yuhi."

"Damn it Kakashi! Will you grow up?" Kurenai snapped, throwing her hands in the air. "This isn't some academy game of dodge ball we're picking teams for, this is serious! Give me a real reason why you think you need to have those two together on your team."

Casting about in his mind for an answer that concisely summed up the complexity of the bond that the two had forged, and at the same time conveyed his intrinsic need to personally ensure their protection in order to maintain his own sanity, he could only come up with one explanation. Kakashi used all of his years as an ANBU operative to deliver the statement with an absolutely serious face, "I ship them."

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" Kurenai probably looked at slugs with more respect than she looked upon The Great Copy Nin at that moment. Good thing he already gave zero fucks about his public reputation.

"Same, I ship them so hard," the Hokage nodded sagely, as he took another long pull from his cigar and closed his eyes in bliss. "Young lady, remind me to introduce you to my son."

"I'm surrounded by idiots," Kurenai groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. Kakashi sniffed the air and eyed the slightly silly smile on the Hokage's face. "Yuhi," he said suspiciously, "what was in those things?"

She bit her bottom lip, and tried to sound nonchalant. "Just a little something to help him relax."

The jonin stared at each other through narrowed eyes like two opponents in a showdown, while the Hokage blew smoke rings at the portraits of his predecessors on the wall and reclined deeper into his chair.

Kakashi sighed, and grabbed a piece of paper off the desk, snapping it in front of Kurenai's face. "You want to be the fairy godmother for some kunoichi cinderella, then this is the girl you're looking for."

Kurenai glared at him for the comment but grabbed the paper anyways, scanning down the profile summary. "Haruno Sakura, tied for top kunoichi. Sucks at combat. Daughter of civilians. Near photographic memory. Shows talent for...genjutsu." Her eyebrows raise. She hadn't heard of this girl, she had been so focused on drafting the Hyuga that most of her research had been invested in her history.

"What it doesn't say is she's a prissy fangirl with anger management issues," Kakashi said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "According to Naruto her entire motivation for becoming a kunoichi revolves around the Uchiha, and she gets violent whenever something gets in her way. If anyone needs guidance it is her. She has the potential, she just needs someone to give her a reality check. I can deal with emotionally broken children, I have no idea how to handle that fangirl. It would do her a disservice to put her in my care."

Kurenai looked up at the tall gray haired jonin, surprised to hear him admit a failing so easily, when the mentality of most shinobi is to never show any weakness. What can be seen of his masked expression is open and genuine, and there's no longer any snark in his tone. She looked down again at the bright smiling face of the pink haired girl in the photograph and hummed in thought.

"Alright Hatake, I'll let you win this time," she sighed, handing back the file sheet. "But if you don't take this seriously I will burn that dirty little book of yours."

"Don't knock it 'til you read it," he chirped happily, giving her a wink, to which she only shook her head.

They look over at their fearless leader, whose eyes had thoroughly glazed over.

"I guess I should finish these for him. He's gonna be out of it for a bit," Kurenai said and started shuffling through the remaining pile of genin papers.

"Oh I wanna help!" Kakashi joined her at the desk, grabbing half of the pile.

~1 hour later~

A hazy cloud of smoke floated serenely through the Hokage's office as he snored softly in his chair. On the floor sat two crossed legged jonin, passing a nearly blunted cigar back and forth between them.

"Hmmm," Kakashi squinted at the genin sheets he holds fanned out in his hands. Glancing over at Kurenai who is guarding her own set of papers like a poker player protecting their hand, he tried to lift his headband up for a peek.

"No Sharingan Kakashi! That's cheating!" She said, glaring at him over her papers.

"Hn," he grumbled, scanning his hand once more. "A doton user."

"Go fish!"

* * *

Naruto walked through the dark sewer, ignoring the dripping water and hissing pipes. This was the path of his nightmares, the place where all his innermost fears dwelled, stewing in the rancid water. The eerie corridor twisted and turned, but he was not lost, he was more familiar with this aura of misery than his own coherent thoughts.

The walls of the tunnel opened up into a vast chamber of inky blackness that seemed to stretch out into eternity. He walked on, forcing down the queasy feeling of sickness that throbbed in his gut, causing his mouth to water with the urge to vomit. Sweat rolled down his forehead but he was not hot, nor exhausted. His muscles were tense, his breaths shallow and short, but he endured the overwhelming urge to flee, and held his head high as he trudged along.

_Breathing_. The feeling of the warm, moist wind of a massive creature's exhalations stirred the hair on his face. _Rumbling_. A sound like the rolling thunder, its booms reverberating through the sky, beat against his chest in waves of dark laughter. _Burning_. Two fire red infernos entranced him with their blazing slitted glare, as the Embodiment of Hatred himself looked down upon his face.

**"So you have finally come,"** the Kyuubi crooned in a taunting tone. **"Closer, mortal."**

Naruto squared his shoulders and took what he hoped was a steady step forward. Just as he was lifting his foot for another tentative step a massive claw shot out of the darkness, slamming into a set of bronze bars that seemed to materialize out of nowhere, and yet Naruto felt they had been there all along. He flinched reflexively but held his ground and did not stumble, his eyes tracing up the vertical barrier until his sights rested on a venerable looking seal firmly affixed on the front of the gilded cage. His attention was drawn back to the prisoner within it when the low growl crescendoed into a monstrous roar.

**"I will tell you what I told the others,"** bellowed the echoing deep timbre. **"Do not underestimate me. My existence is immortal. My patience is infinite. My hatred is unfathomable. My power is immeasurable. My victories are innumerable. And you, and your dreams, and your beliefs, and your chakra, and your very existence are INSIGNIFICANT IN MY EYES!"**

He held his ground, hearing the threats but refusing to bow to the taunts of the tyrant. Refusing to doubt himself, standing firm on the solid rock of his own convictions even while wading in the mire of this hellish sewer.

"And what of your soul?" Naruto whispered in response to the wild wrath, slowly reaching out a shaking hand to lay his palm on the coarse texture of the obsidian claw that pressed against the bars of the cage. "Does your soul not cry out for freedom from more than just these bars? For the recognition of its existence and acknowledgment of its loneliness?" He opened his senses, allowing the demonic chakra to sweep through his innermost consciousness and inspected its tenets for what he sought. The staggering density of it forced the air from his lungs, leaving him struggling to stand, his heart fighting for every beat. The very blood in his veins seeming to slow under its oppression. But he found it, buried under all the detestable chakra that boiled and spewed like lava erupting from a volcano. It was the fragile breath of a hope nearly lost, cherished deep within the soul like a memory almost forgotten, but too precious to release.

"If you know hate, that means you once knew love as well," Naruto rasped, expelling the words with difficulty. "I feel it within you, Kyuubi. You and I are bound to one another, and I treasure my bonds with great jealousy, for they are few and precious." Hot air gusted over him as the beast recoiled his talon and snarled. A massive red tail whipped across the bars, the wind it created sent Naruto's body skipping backwards across the top of the water.

**"Ignorant fool! You will never tame me!"** the demonic fox roared, flashing rows of deadly sharp teeth and spitting hot saliva in his fury.

Standing up on shaky legs, Naruto bravely gave his prisoner his best vulpine grin, his own whiskers curling across his cheeks to enhance the cheshire smile. "Just you wait, Furball," he bellowed at the now frothing beast. "I see you! Someday I'm coming after all that hate! And on that day, you and I both will be victorious!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Chapter 15

Kakashi tapped his fingers across the top of his thigh as he scanned the mixed expressions in the blue, lavender, and black eyes before him. He really shouldn't be this giddy, today was a somber day of discipline and instruction. But the honor of molding these easily corruptible—er, impressionable—young genin into shinobi had him feeling surprisingly excited.

"Alright I'll start," he drawled, trying to affect a lazy attitude of superiority. "My name is Hatake Kakashi. My likes are too sophisticated for you three children to comprehend—"

"Ahem-SMUT-ahem," Naruto not-so-subtly coughed into his fist. Hinata giggled. Sasuke scowled harder than ever.

Pretending not to have heard, Kakashi piously continued, "My dislikes are none of your business—"

"Two words: Green Spandex," the evil blond smugly stated. Hinata snorted and then furiously rubbed her eyes like she was trying to erase a mental image. Sasuke looked disturbed and confused.

Kakashi fought the involuntary shudder that always accompanied such horrific memories as were conjured up by those words, and fixed his new little genin with a gimlet eye.

"My hobbies are torturing naive genin and crushing their arrogant pranking asses into the ground with my fearsome indoctrination into the life of a shinobi. And my goal is to make them worship the ground I walk on." This got him a growl, an 'eep', and a face-palm. In that order. The Sensei tried to pause for dramatic effect, but this was ruined by the loud blond.

"Alright alright, you're scary we get it. Me next! I am Uzumaki Naruto! My likes are fuuinjutsu and ramen, my dislikes are sulky emo bastards and stuck up Main House Hyuga assholes—oof." Pouting while rubbing the spot on his ribs where Hinata had just elbowed him as she hissed "language, Naruto-kun", he continued. "My hobbies are training with my friends and spreading joy throughout the Leaf with harmless jokes." This sparked a choking sound from their new Sensei. "And my goal is to gain the village's respect and become the best Hokage ever, dattebayo!" Hinata beamed at him and Sasuke looked like he'd drunk sour milk. Ignoring this, Naruto returned her smile, "You're turn Hime!"

"My name is Hyuga Hinata," she said in a soft but steady voice. "My likes are cinnamon rolls and..." Kakashi almost missed the quick glance she shot at her grinning teammate that suspiciously coincided with a deepening of the pink on her cheeks, "...my dislikes are bullies and control freaks." That time she definitely shot a look at Sasuke. "My hobbies are cooking and training with my friends." Taking a deep breath, she straightened and made known the dream of her heart that she had never dared express to anyone except her best friend, "my goal is to become a strong kunoichi and unite the Hyuga." Kakashi's eye widened, _sheesh, these kids don't mess around._

Sasuke had been listening to his teammates' aspirations of rainbows and sunshine with an annoyed scowl. It seemed to him that he had been saddled with useless daydreamers who would never understand the gravity of his burden and the depth of the sins he sought to punish. Lacing his fingers together he planted his elbows on his knees and forced himself to follow along with the pointless exercise.

Kakashi tried not to roll his eyes at the dramatically glowering genin at the end of the row. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I don't have any likes," he ignored Naruto's scoff. "I dislike fangirls and dobes," _did Hinata just crack her knuckles? I thought she was the sweet one?_ "I don't have time for hobbies. And my goal is to kill a certain man and rebuild my clan." Well he should have seen that one coming a mile away.

Kakashi took in the irritated expression on Naruto's face, the scarily threatening glare that Hinata was aiming at the Uchiha, the way Sasuke stonily refused to acknowledge the existence of either of them, and wished he had Minato-sensei's talent for bringing conflicting personalities together. How the hell was he ever going to get these kids to cooperate? They really were not all that different, each seeking justice for the crimes committed against them while aspiring to build a foundation for a better tomorrow. If he could just get them to see each other, maybe, just maybe, he could help them create the futures they each strove to bring to fruition. Then 'Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye' could finally balance the scales of his own bloody deeds, serving Konoha by fostering the Will of Fire instead of being the executioner of her enemies. He adjusted the fit of his hitae-ate over his gifted eye, thinking about Obito and Rin and all of his own regrets wasn't going to help right now, he had to focus on the three unique characters in front of him.

"Fascinating," he said, gaining the three's attention once more. "Tomorrow I will put you through a test of my own to see if you have what it takes to accomplish your goals. Meet me at Training Ground Three at 0700, and don't eat breakfast unless you want to barf. _Ja ne_!"

* * *

It was cloudy but warm, and a breeze blew steadily through the short grass of Training Ground Three. Naruto and Hinata settled themselves side by side on the cool ground, and he took her hands in his own as he began to wrap the bandages around her fingers. The tail of his red scarf danced up into his face with a gust of wind and she reached over with her free hand to flick it over his shoulder.

"Do you think he'll be on time?" Hinata asks, eyeing the rising sun that just crested the treetops. While Kakashi had a bit of a reputation for taking his sweet time, it had improved considerably since he had moved in with Naruto. The prankster had taken the habit of tardiness as a personal challenge, saying that if Dog felt the need to nit pick his personal hygiene habits, then he had the same prerogative when it came to his roommate's tardiness.

"You betcha," Naruto grinned evilly. "I left a little love note for him that said there was a seal hidden somewhere on his person that would explode at exactly 0700 and could only be deactivated by _my_ chakra. Either he'll be here or he'll be soaring over the Hokage monument."

"Nice," she giggled, and seeing a dark figure enter the training ground, quickly activated her bloodline. Immediately recognizing their third teammate, she relaxed but continued to stare in his direction as Naruto remained focused on his task. Hinata was not especially thrilled to have the cheerless Uchiha on her team. Ever since that day when he had nearly barbecued Naruto-kun in that schoolyard spar, she had been more than a little sensitive when it came to his demeaning comments toward her best friend. But she really wanted to be a successful kunoichi, and that meant ensuring her team was successful as well. She felt her hands squeezed in Naruto's large grasp, signaling that she was done, so in the spirit of compromise, Hinata grabbed her scroll and unsealed the three bento boxes she had brought for breakfast.

"Thanks Hime! Looks delicious as always!" Naruto crowed, and with a rushed " _itadakimasu_!" dove into his meal. She smiled and turned to hand the second box to Sasuke as he walked up where they sat by three wooden posts.

"Dobe, the day has hardly started and you've already forgotten the directions," the dark haired boy looked down disdainfully at the feasting genin.

"We'll see who's laughing when you faint like a damsel in distress and I gotta save your hangry ass, Teme," Naruto taunted, taking a massive bite and chewing emphatically, making sure to punctuate his smacking with hums of delight.

Sasuke looked away in mild disgust at the rough manners and clicked his teeth in annoyance. Completely ignoring Hinata he stalked toward the other side of the clearing to begin his own warm ups.

"Excuse me Sasuke," came a soft voice from behind him. He turned fractionally to see Hinata approaching him with a bento extended in her hand. "I made one for you too. You really should eat, Kakashi-sensei will not go easy on us, from what I have heard."

Not even bothering to break his stride, Sasuke simply grunted "Bakas. I don't want any of your food." Hinata's pearly eyes narrowed upon his stiff shoulders as he continued to walk away, struggling to keep her anger in check as she went back to her friend.

"So how far up his ass do you think that stick goes?" Naruto mused around another mouthful of food. Hinata huffed as she plunked to the ground next to the teenager who was doing an amazing impersonation of a garbage disposal. Handing him the extra bento she exhaled forcefully through flared nostrils and sharply snapped her chopsticks apart.

"Far enough to fill his stomach apparently," she muttered under her breath, causing her companion to choke out a surprised laugh, nearly inhaling his half chewed breakfast.

* * *

Kakashi was not in the most pleasant of moods as he finished explaining the rules of the bell test. The foreboding message his obnoxious roommate had left smeared on the bathroom mirror in toothpaste was not only gross, but frustratingly effective. Especially when he had heard an ominous sizzling sound coming from his pack where he kept his precious orange book. So he now stood in the rigid pose of a military commander ready to force his troops through a gauntlet of torture. What better way was there to cheer himself up at this early hour?

He surveyed the three teenagers fidgeting in front of him, lined up similar to yesterday. Naruto looked like he had ants in his pants and a scheme on his mind. Hinata was doing a much better job of trying to appear innocently angelic but there was a gleam in her eye that made him feel supremely uneasy. If he didn't already know that Sasuke was an Uchiha, the arrogant way he crossed his arms and the dark expression that screamed "Fugaku" would have sealed the deal. _This should be an A ranked mission based on mental distress alone,_ he thought as he pulled out the two small bells and held them up for the three to see.

"So come at me with all you've got and the two who get the bells will stay on my team. Alright? Now, when I say go—"

"Hime! Catch!" Kakashi and Sasuke both gawked with surprise as suddenly Naruto launched himself into Hinata's arms. To her credit the girl reacted instantly, and didn't even seem phased by the abrupt attack. Before the laughing boy could complete his leap, Kakashi unexpectedly slammed into the ground with a lanky orange genin sprawled across his chest, and Hinata had neatly snatched the shining pair of bells from the air. Smiling innocently at Sasuke, she gave him a sarcastically cute wave, making sure to jingle the bells merrily in his face.

Sasuke was gaping at her and the Dobe, who was flopping like a sack of potatoes on his Sensei while the man tried to suck air. The top ranked genin had already been channelling chakra while running through several complex attack scenarios in his head when those two fools had simply outsmarted the seasoned jonin with an E-ranked _kawarimi_? He had heard that the Copy Nin used an impossibly difficult test to screen his genin, and had been up nearly half the night trying to guess what it was and formulate a plan. His anger that they had beaten him so easily made him despise their little trick even more.

"Penalty!" Kakashi hollered as he roughly chucked Naruto off his chest. "False start! And you know that's not how this works, Pup." Kakashi tried to save some of his dignity by not flat out wheezing as he stood up and willed oxygen into his lungs. He should've known that kid would have some sort of plan to make his test look ridiculously easy.

Naruto shrugged without remorse. "What? You said 'go'!" he chuckled and slyly fist bumped Hinata as he walked to her side. Kakashi grunted and held out his hand to the Hyuga, impatiently gesturing for her to return the prize. She pouted before walking over and slapping the pair of bells into his extended palm, looking up at his masked face with no regret in her eyes.

"I expected this from him, but you...if I wasn't so annoyed I'd be proud," the sensei mumbled. Hinata gave him what appeared to be a scarily sweet smile, in his now highly suspicious opinion, and returned to stand between her two teammates. "Assholes," he muttered beneath his mask. "I heard that Kaka-sensei!" Hinata chirped, and did that knuckle cracking thing again. _Since when did she get so mean?_

Tired of being on the receiving end of all the Pup's jokes, Kakashi gave up trying to be a respectable Sensei and decided to play dirty. "Y'know what, to hell with it," briskly he tied the two bells to his hip and with a mock salute yelled, "OnyourmarkgetsetGO!" With a pop of smoke the Copy Nin disappeared and there was nothing but falling leaves where he had stood.

"Ok, here's the plan," Naruto clapped his hands together and wasted no time turning to face the other two genin. "Hime, keep your eyes activated for as long as possible, I will—"

"I'm going alone," Sasuke stated flatly, reaching into his pouch to pull out a kunai and three shuriken.

Naruto irritatedly pointed at the Last Uchiha while giving Hinata a look that said _I told you so!_ She sighed, already tired of constantly having to placate the two headstrong males while at the same time trying to not get pissed about Sasuke's complete dismissal of her. Once again deciding that she would be the mature one, she called out to Sasuke's retreating back, which was already becoming a familiar sight. "Sasuke the point of the whole exercise is teamwork. You have to look underneath the underneath of the bell test," she tried to explain with as little condescension as possible.

"I'm sure whatever childish strategy that idiot has cooked up will just get us disqualified, again," Sasuke snapped over his shoulder. "Maybe when I claim both of the bells for myself they will let me pick two new teammates, preferably one who isn't an usuratonkachi, and another who can actually intimidate an enemy."

Watching him leap off into the trees, Hinata could feel her blood boiling. No one was allowed to insult her efforts and question her dedication like that, especially stuck up little emo punks who acted like the whole damn world owed them a favor. She angrily activated her bloodline, but not in search of her new Sensei. "Looks like someone needs to be taught a lesson," she growled, and in a flash she was also gone.

"My ideas are not childish," Naruto muttered as he watched Sasuke's death take flight through the trees. It was super tempting to let her mete out retribution upon the stuck up genin, but they really needed to get their act together at some point. Maybe he would allow her to just slightly maim the guy, before stepping in to prevent him from being totally paralyzed by 64 palm strikes? Decided, Naruto bent his legs to jump after the justifiably irate female and try to talk her down enough to hopefully forge at least a small degree of cooperation that would vaguely resemble something appearing to be teamwork with enough conviction to get Dog to pass the three adversaries, when the devil himself appeared behind him.

"This is for the seal," Kakashi hissed, and with the lightning speed for which he was feared the world over yelled, " _Sennen Goroshi_!" as he executed the diabolical jutsu upon Naruto's ass.

"THIS MEANS WAR!" An orange figure screamed as he streaked through the sky.

Things had rapidly digressed after that, and at noon Sasuke and Hinata found themselves tied to two of the training posts, as Naruto stood by them still glaring at Kakashi while grumpily rubbing his backside.

"You fail!" The silver haired jonin declared, sweeping the three chagrined genin with his stern gaze. "That was abysmal. Hinata, you were supposed to get a bell not obliterate your teammate. Sasuke, hell hath no fury as a woman scorned, seriously, that's a life lesson. Naruto, the only reason I'm not tying you up is because you were the only one who actually tried to attack me."

"I was trying to burn your damn book," Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I consider all attempts on my literature a threat to my person," Kakashi snapped as he unsealed three bentos from a scroll. He held one out to Naruto and tucked the other two under his arm. "However, in all my infinite wisdom I have decided to magnanimously allow you three disappointments a second chance. But only Naruto gets to eat," he declared. Naruto tried to pull it away only to be met with resistance, and the blond raised a suspicious look to his new sensei and old friend. "Untie them, or feed them, and you _all_ fail," Kakashi threatened. Then once again he poofed away.

Naruto stood blinking in bewilderment for a few seconds, then relaxed as he realized the point of the little test. _Don't worry Dog_ , he thought to himself as he set the bento on the ground. _I won't leave my teammates behind. Any of them_. Pulling a kunai from his hip pouch he smiled and first went to Hime, who was blushing a little in shame at having been reprimanded.

"It's ok Hime," Naruto cajoled and reached out to grab a strand of her silky hair, giving it a playful tug. "We can still pass this thing, we just gotta convince the lone vigilante over there that we have to work together." She looked up at his whiskered smile and her eyes brightened, much to his pleasure, as he started to free her from the loops of ninja wire.

Sasuke stared incredulously at the way his teammates were so casually going against a direct order, willingly risking being sent back to the academy. In fact, ever since he had set foot on the training ground this morning these two had done nothing but shatter his apparently shallow impressions of their tactics and capabilities.

He had sparred with Hinata only once or twice in the academy, having considered her to be a less than challenging partner. Those controlled rounds of fighting had not prepared him for the overwhelming venture of open combat against a well trained Byakugan. He vaguely remembered his father complaining that the Hyuga were overly arrogant with claiming that their bloodline was just as powerful as the Sharingan. After the way that girl had mercilessly hunted him down through the training grounds like a lioness, attacking with astonishing ferocity and speed, he had never wished to awaken his Sharingan more.

In between fighting off Hinata's very misleadingly named Gentle Fist attacks and unsuccessfully trying to hide in the trees, Sasuke had been amazed to catch glimpses of the Dobe brazenly attacking the Copy Nin, and at times actually giving the genius a challenge. The clones the boy was spawning were not normal at all, and he had sworn at one point he had seen Naruto knock the jonin down with a single touch of the hand before a _kawarimi_ had replaced his prone body with a log.

Yet now as he watched the blond calmly slicing away the wires around Hinata with a quick flick of his kunai, he wasn't so sure those two weren't idiots after all. As Naruto turned to him, twirling the blade around his finger, Sasuke's building hunger and frustrations caused him to lose his temper and he angrily lashed out at his teammates. "Are you deaf? Sensei is going to fail us all! You may not care if your little fairy tale endings ever come true, but I have an actual purpose in my life, and I cannot afford setbacks because my teammates are idiots!"

Naruto glared at the seething Uchiha, but remembered the conviction behind his words about hatred and power that day in the classroom. Something was wrong with this asshole, and it was obviously eating him up from the inside out. He was tempted to retaliate and tear this guy a new one for constantly being a prick. But he was a shinobi now, a shinobi who wanted to be Hokage. And what kind of Hokage would he be if he got butt hurt over every little insult? If he was ever going to live up to his own words and end the hatred that reigned in the ranks of the village, this guy was a good place to start.

Naruto looked at Hinata, who met his hard blue gaze and seemed to read his thoughts as only she could, and gently she placed her hand on his shoulder to show her support. He felt his agitation steady under her gentle touch and instantly his confidence grew.

"Let's try this again," he said slowly, making sure he had the full attention of his now captive audience. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto, at least that's what I've been told. My parents were killed the day of the Kyuubi attack and I grew up bouncing from one orphanage to another because the adults seemed set on either murdering me or making my life a living hell, simply because I represent something that they hate. I have so much chakra my shits could probably make more _kage bunshin_ than you. That gravity seal you saw me slap onto Dog was of my own personal design, I finished it last night just for this fight. When I concentrate, I can sense every chakra signature in an entire building. I can tell you right now, yours feels like the buzzing static of ozone before a lightning strike, and you need to reel that shit in before you kill someone. I AM going to be Hokage, not because I want to wander around executing people left and right whenever they hurt my precious feelings, but because I will prove to them that I am worthy, and I am not overrun by the hatred sealed within me. I am bigger than my destiny. My power will not be hoarded selfishly but spread through my bonds to strengthen others. I will be respected for becoming the greatest Hokage of all time, who crawled out of the pit they tried to bury me in not by stepping on their backs to gain ground, but by building up everyone around me until we are all higher. I will never give up, it is my nindo." The peaking sun burst from behind a cloud as Naruto had passionately delivered his speech, lighting up his yellow hair with a brilliance that almost made him seem to glow with the fervor of his words. Sasuke was silent, processing this information and considering the sincerity of his promises. His gaze was pulled away by the steady voice next to him.

"My name is Hyuga Hinata," she said every word clearly and precisely, as though each one was a carefully delivered choice. "I was born the heiress of the Hyuga, until Hiashi sent my mother to her death in recompense for a botched kidnapping attempt on myself. I was branded with a Cage Bird Seal and sent to the Branch House, where I am expected to serve that man and his wife in any way they deem necessary or else risk punishment by having my seal activated to the point of permanent brain injury. But I will defy this fate that they think they have cursed me with. I will become a stronger kunoichi than Konoha has ever seen, and find a way to abolish the atrocities of the Hyuga, uniting them into a powerful clan that is bound by the bonds of family, not fear. Right now, I am the only female in the entire Hyuga to have activated my Byakugan, and my range allows me to see from here to the Hokage Tower with absolute clarity. So don't even try to escape me." The threatening way Hinata ended her reintroduction, combined with a sudden gust of wind that had her dark midnight hair swirling around her ominously, suddenly made Sasuke realize that even petite girls could absolutely be terrifying. Recalling her nasty attacks earlier, he could say that he perhaps agreed with his Sensei's warnings about the wrath of a woman.

Looking back and forth between the two genuine expressions, Sasuke realized what they were doing. They were trying to show him that they grasped what it meant to have that drive, that indelible need to accomplish a goal as fervently as one needs to draw breath. He needed a team if he was ever going to successfully advance in this system of shinobi. And failure was not an option. So maybe for once, he could dare to trust another? He had never revealed his true motives to anyone, never trusted another to comprehend the soul eating desire that burned within him. Yet, these two were different, they knew what it was like to _endure_. He chewed the inside of his cheek in thought, dark bangs hovering over his face as he searched for the strength to say the words out loud.

Inhaling deeply through his nose, Sasuke closed his eyes. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I was the second son of the Clan Head, until my bro-" he choked on the word, his throat dry from the efforts of the day and the intense hatred That Man always stirred within him. "...the clan heir killed them all in a single night. All of my family was murdered and he escaped, intentionally leaving me alone to suffer. I hate him for what he has done to me, to my family, to the Uchiha name. One day I will find him and kill him, and revive the honor of the Uchiha Clan, and I will do anything to ensure they are protected." He kept his eyes lowered for a second, preparing himself for the disgusting looks of pity that he knew would be plastered across their faces.

Looking up though, he was relieved to see not pity, but understanding. Authentic, true, comprehension glittered in the pair of lavender and blue eyes that did not flinch away from his hard gaze. For the first time in years, he felt that someone was seeing not just the Last Uchiha, a victim of a tragic tale, or a prodigy to be worshipped, but Sasuke. They _saw_ him.

The poignant moment was interrupted by the grumbling of his stomach, much to Sasuke's embarrassment. Naruto snorted as Hinata smiled, and bending to grab the single bento she cracked open the lid. "You must be starving," she chided in a motherly way, using the chopsticks to scoop up a large bit of steaming rice. Sasuke hesitated in mild mortification at the childish treatment, but his stomach was growling even louder and his mouth was starting to water.

"If you don't let her feed you I get to try next, Teme," the blond was chuckling as he twirled his red scarf around lazily. "And I will not be playing airplane, that's for sure." "Shut up Dobe— _hmff_!" Hinata neatly crammed the rice into his mouth before he could finish his insult. As he sulkily chewed the delicious bite, trying not to act as ravenous as he felt, she gave him that creepy small smile that made him want to say 'yes ma'am', 'thank-you ma'am', before she started cracking her knuckles again. Scooping up another pile of rice she lifted it to his face and hissed in a harsh whisper, "do not insult Naruto-kun, understand?" This was punctuated by the angry throbbing of the veins around her eyes as she pinned him with a terrifying white glare. His mouth dropped open in reflexive horror and she once again shoved food into his gaping maw. Chewing tentatively as he tried to tamp down the irrational fear her eyes seemed to stir within him, he vaguely heard the idiot snickering behind her.

Suddenly there was a loud bang and Kakashi was standing in the middle of their little circle, nearly crackling with anger as he bellowed, "You all broke the rules! You helped your teammates against direct orders! Therefore as your jonin sensei I hereby declare that you have...PASSED!"

The instant shift in the demeanor from fury to grinning fool once again left Sasuke too shocked to maintain his stoic facade and his jaw fell open, only for another bite of rice to be forcefully jammed down his throat.

* * *

As the newly formed Team 7 staggered home that night after being put through one of the most exhausting training sessions of their lives, some were more beat up than others, but each craved the embrace of their beds and the reward sleep offered to a dedicated genin.

Hizashi had chuckled watching Hinata nearly nod off into her food like a toddler before carrying her to bed.

Kakashi smugly enjoyed his tea as Pakkun snored on Naruto's sprawled out form, both out cold on the couch. It was debatable who was drooling more.

Sasuke barely managed to lock his front door before stumbling onto the sweet oblivion of his futon, asleep before his head hit the pillow. As he lay unconscious, a figure melted from the shadows.

They slid over to the door and set the traps, adjusting one's timing to spring with the sensitivity of a hair trigger. They silently checked the stock of the cupboards, the state of the dwelling, and then paused to stare at the shoes on the floor. _A size bigger than last time, he is growing well._ Satisfied with his inspection he stole to the window and crawled out without so much as a creak to announce his departure. Ensuring that the traps were once again set to max effect, he scaled the side of the building and crouched on the roof.

The full moon briefly illuminated the silhouette of a lean man with long hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail, before he morphed into a large black crow that flared its wings to catch the warm night wind. As he glided towards the edge of Konoha, he whispered in his mind, _Not yet Otouto, but soon_.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This chapter contains graphic descriptions of violence.**

Chapter 16

The sound of thumping dragged Sasuke from his sleep. He blinked a few times, taking in his surroundings, noticing how far the sun had creeped across the floorboards. _It must nearly be noon_ , he thought as he blearily took in the dust particles dancing through the air. He brought a hand up to run his fingers through the tangled hair on the back of his head, coming away with a blade of grass that was somehow still stuck in the dark strands. He tossed the thing away with an annoyed huff, and flung his arm over his eyes as he began testing out the soreness of each muscle after the late hours of training he had crammed in last night.

Team Seven's first C-ranked mission had been an absolute clusterfuck nearly from the get go. The bridge builder who had hired them turned out to be an alcoholic who somehow managed to function, they were attacked by the Demon Brothers and that Swordsman from The Mist, and then belatedly realized that the hunter nin they thought was there to collect the bodies was actually just an accomplice. After all that fighting, all four enemies had escaped, albeit in various degrees of health.

Sasuke sighed in frustration at the memory. The team had been understandably irritated that what had appeared to be a victory with a display of well coordinated teamwork turned out to be nothing more than a preface for a potential shit storm. The Uchiha had been even more upset to find out that Kakashi had been hiding a Sharingan under that lop-sided hitae-ate all this time. The tense explanation of the "gift" had answered absolutely nothing, which only increased his irritation. The jonin was more concerned with interrogating their employer than satisfying the Uchiha's angry curiosity, especially when the perpetual drunk had revealed that Gato and the rest of his gang would return any day. With that knowledge Kakashi had set his genin to training like never before.

Standing up slowly, the Uchiha grimaced at the painful protestation of his muscles. At the age of fifteen, he and his teammates were all nearing their physical peak, with Naruto and himself seeming to be in a biological race to see who could have the most dramatic growth spurt. While the blond continued to be more lanky, so far the fruits of his training were hinting at the potential for a more powerful build, and Sasuke was displaying the lithe speed and agility for which his clansmen were known. But without his Sharingan, the skills seemed to be nothing more than a reminder of how far short of his goal he was falling. His jealousy of his kunoichi teammate's excelling expertise with her own bloodline was a point of personal frustration.

Between training with her team and her clan, Hinata was advancing rapidly. Her petite stature was slowly becoming a thing of the past. No one would ever call her tall, but her build was becoming more and more like her cousin, regal in posture and economic in her movements, she could be deadly in a fight. And with her Byakugan she could still kick Sasuke's ass as often as not, much to his shame. The fact that even Naruto had difficulty evading her Gentle Fist didn't give his wounded pride any consolation.

He had to get better. He couldn't let them outflank him. The sins of That Man still haunted his dreams and he had to keep pace, the passing of time just making the desire for more power and strength so keen he thought he could taste it at times. It was the push behind his strict training, and the reason why he had been out in the forest long into the previous night.

One of the first things Kakashi had taught him upon the formation of Team Seven was the water walking and tree climbing exercises, which he had been furious to realize Naruto and Hinata already knew. Since then every training session had felt like a race to an ever moving finish line, just as he felt he was drawing nearer to them, they would come up with some ridiculous collaboration or new skill and he would be sprinting to catch up once more. And it always seemed to center around that blond idiot.

Naruto, as it turned out, had a Wind Release chakra nature, and quickly realized that he could act as a catalyst for both his teammate's jutsu styles. The three would train their fledgling elemental natures until they were nearly exhausted, with the Tireless Orange Ball of Energy using his clones to practice combining his Wind with Hinata's Water, and Sasuke's Fire, while at the same time honing his own Nature Transformation using a pair of trench knives Kakashi had obtained with help from another Sensei. It was impressive to say the least, absolutely intimidating at best. And Sasuke hated feeling intimidated.

Another thump and the slam of the front door had Sasuke shuffling to the window to see who was coming or going. Lifting the blinds he squinted down from the second story bedroom into the yard, and saw no one. _Must have been that kid coming in_ , he thought. His eyes strayed out to scan along the tree tops of the forest where he had snuck off in the evening after dinner to squeeze in some extra training. Hinata had been working to perfect the _kaiten_ of her clan, while Naruto was meditating, again. The idiot had been doing that a lot on this trip, and it was rather unnerving to see him so calm, and yet so _not_ calm all at the same time. The expressions that crossed his whiskered face as he sat in deep concentration fluctuated between menacing vulpine snarls to agonizing grimaces laced with misery. It was creepy as hell as far as Sasuke was concerned, and so he had left Hinata to watch over their unpredictable teammate alone, while he leapt away into the trees in search of a place to practice the chakra control and accuracy exercises he had found in his clan's library books, perhaps even fine tune his katon if there was a decent clearing.

With the cumulative strain of guarding the bridge all day and training late into the night, the Uchiha had finally collapsed on the grass, stupidly allowing himself to fall asleep unguarded in the moonlight. Luckily, the one who found him was that weird boy collecting herbs for his friend in the early morning light. Sasuke had thought about their conversation the whole sprint back to Tazuna's home in the pre-dawn hours. The idea the boy had expressed, of wanting to protect his precious people, had sounded genuine in Sasuke's mind, lining up closely with the beliefs of his own teammates. But while he didn't necessarily disagree, the potency of the boy's conviction fell flat for the Last Uchiha personally.

He had no precious people. That Man had taken them all.

There was another thump from downstairs but this one was followed by a crash and a scream that cut off abruptly. The hairs stood up on the back of Sasuke's neck and without wasting more time his hands were flying to strap his ninja pouch to his person. _Where is everyone? Did they leave me here alone and go to the bridge?_

Silently stealing down the staircase, Sasuke tightly gripped his kunai in his hand and used a mirror from his pouch to peek around the corner into the main living area of the bridge builder's home, where the man's daughter and grandson were usually having lunch this time of day. The sight reflected back at him had his dark eyes widening in horror, and the mirror cracked in his clenching grasp.

One ninja had Inari by the throat, pinned to the wall, his small legs thrashing harmlessly against his captor as he clawed at the brute's massive hand and wheezed through the snot and tears rolling down his reddening face. A second ninja stood behind the boy's mother where she knelt on the floor of the kitchen, his hand fisted into her hair, pulling her head back at a sharp angle as he teased her pale throat with the edge of his blade.

"Come on now, Love," he was taunting in a sing-song tone, "we won't hurt the brat if you just play along. We'll be quick about it." The mother whimpered as she tried to turn her head to see her son, tugging at the wire that bound her wrists behind her back. But with the death grip the leering man had on her hair twisting her line of sight sideways, her eyes locked onto the gleam of the mirror by the staircase instead. Her chocolate brown orbs seemed to plead for help as tears poured freely down her face.

Something inside the Last Uchiha snapped. Suddenly it wasn't The Land of Waves, but his own home. It was his own mother kneeling in the kitchen, her head bowed and fingers laced together in her lap. Her dark hair falling over small shoulders that slumped in defeat. Behind her loomed a shadowy figure with red eyes that whirled in a spiral of death, as he slowly unsheathed his katana, delicately lining up the shining blade to the back of her exposed neck. The voice was the echoing deep timbre that once was so admired by the younger brother, and now was only revolting to the young man. _See what my wrath can accomplish..._

His body throbbed and he felt himself scream but all that he heard was the roaring blood in his head, increasing in pressure until he thought his eyes would burst from their sockets. He attacked with the speed of righteous judgment, slashing his brother to shreds until the world was bathed in red. The roaring continued, and now his heart had joined the cacophony, its pounding reverberated from his chest up into his brain. The shadow moved and he threw every blade in his pouch at the traitor. The swinging arm that grasped the bloody katana was pinned to the wall when his kunai impaled its hand. He watched the body slump to the ground, hanging by the affixed limb, and the red hue bled out of his vision like the crimson liquid that flowed from the wounds in his brother's chest where several shuriken had sunken deep between the ribs, and Sasuke's mind swam with the heady euphoria of his victory.

"Okaa-san! Are you alrigh—" the desperate question froze on his lips as he turned to see not his mother, but Tsunami, clinging to Inari with his face buried in her lap. She was splattered with the blood of her now lifeless attackers, and whispering shaky words of comfort to her son. As she lifted her face to her savior, she gasped. Clutching the boy tighter she choked out in a hoarse voice, "Sasuke, y-your eyes!"

Sasuke fell to his knees, all the elation of his triumph gone in a whoosh with his harsh breathing, and he realized this was not the compound, and neither of the bodies around him were That Man, and he was still alone.

Pain pierced his eyes and he curled into himself, the heels of his hands pressing against the throbbing agony. He keened out a cry of misery that tore from his throat like the wail of the wind, sweat poured down his face and he cursed his brother anew. Would he never feel relief? Would it ever stop hurting? The pain drummed faster and he pulled away his hands to see blood and tears coating his fingers. Sudden understanding dawned on him and he scrambled over to the shards of the broken mirror on the floor, not allowing himself to look upon the morbid carnage around him for fear he'd vomit. In the cracked and distorted reflection, the crimson glow of a Sharingan stared back at him.

His hand fell limp and the broken glass clinked on the floor. Without turning around he swallowed thickly and asked, "the others, are they at the bridge?"

"H-hai," answered Tsunami, and he left, unable to bear looking at her again.

* * *

Sasuke shivered and clamped his arms around his knees to hide the movement. His tremors had nothing to do with the temperature, but all the same Naruto noticed and tossed another log onto the fire. The Uchiha nodded a quick thanks but slid a few inches further away from him at the same time.

The memory of the feeling of all that evil chakra rolling off of Naruto in waves was hard to reconcile with the now quiet boy sitting opposite the cheerful campfire, neatly gutting the fish that he had easily caught from the river the team had chosen to camp by on their journey back to Konoha. He kept his blond head down and his shoulders were slightly hunched as he focused on his task, like a dog with its tail tucked between his legs. Perhaps he had noticed the poorly concealed anxious glances Sasuke had been shooting his direction over the last few days.

One could hardly blame Sasuke for his caution. After witnessing the way Naruto had brutally torn into those gangsters on the bridge, the way his fingernails had sharpened and the marks on his face had deepened, the feeling of immense pressure in the air surrounding him, the way he seemed to radiate heat, and fury, and...and... _evil_...

It made Sasuke sick. Physically sick.

His eyes glazed over as he watched Naruto carefully slice one fish after another and impale them on the sharpened skewers his shadow clone had made. The flesh of the fish overlapped with the memory of the impaled bodies as those claws had torn through their flesh, his teeth gnashing and snarling in unbridled rage over Hinata's numerous injuries from the flying ice senbon, and the heart wrenching scene between Haku and Zabuza.

Naruto had been unashamedly heart broken, visibly shaking, with tears rolling down his cheeks as he watched the hardened rogue say his last goodbyes to his disciple. Sasuke had to admit that he had been saddened as well, although addressing the gang of thugs that had appeared at the end of the battle on the bridge had been his main concern.

He had barely registered the way Naruto and Kakashi-Sensei had knelt next to the fallen pair, hearing them utter their last convictions and reconciling their dreams with their dying breaths, before his teammates had closed their now dulled eyes and a light snow started to fall. Hinata was down, but breathing and awake, a testament to the progress she had made with her _kaiten_ , having been able to block most of the ice user's senbon, but only just managing to hold him off until Naruto had stepped in to join her fight and defeat the cage of mirrors. While they fought, his shadow clone joined Sasuke to launch a well coordinated attack, and they took out the Demon Brothers once and for all. The entire time his genin were fighting, Kakashi-sensei was giving the Demon of the Mist a hell of a battle with his Sharingan.

Sasuke had looked away when the dying nin reached out to touch the face of his disciple with the tenderness of a father, trying to ignore the twisting of his gut as he remembered the boy's words just the night before. _To be useful, to protect my precious people, it is something I would give my life to ensure._ When a wind had rolled the fog away to reveal the very gang that had started this whole miserable event, Sasuke's overwrought body had collapsed at the prospect of another drawn out battle when they were already so exhausted.

But then it happened.

Naruto had snapped in a morbidly spectacular way, instantly engulfed in a crimson chakra that seemed to burn without consuming, blazing like a sunset but thick and heavy as a rank fog. The roar that ripped from him was the echo of nightmares. And his eyes, the devil himself was behind that blood red glare. Sasuke had fought to stay conscious through the suffocating power of the dense killing intent before finally his mind had shut down. But not before he witnessed the massacre of Gato and his men.

While the traumatizing scene back at the house had pushed Sasuke to act out in a murderous rage of his own, the whole attack had been a surreal out-of-body experience that in memory seemed separate from himself, almost like a fuzzy dream. He never could have imagined executing the horrors that Naruto performed. Never could have fathomed the gruesome way that blood could spray through the air when an artery was sliced. Never could have conceived the gurgling sound of a man drowning on dry land.

A piece of charred firewood popped out of the fire and landed near Sasuke's foot, snapping him out of his morbid reverie just as the blond jammed the last stick through the final fish. The squishing wet sound hit him in the gut and he abruptly leapt to his feet and ran into the trees, barely making it behind a screen of bushes before puking.

Wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, Sasuke shuffled down to the river and tiredly rinsed his mouth in the cool water before splashing some on his face. Pausing on the riverbank to allow his stomach to settle, he watched the moonlight dance across the expanding ripples, distorting his reflection, changing his face from that of a young man to something unrecognizable. He blinked his eyes and pulsed his chakra, still somewhat startled by the sight of the red dojutsu looking back at him from the surface of the water.

He had completely thought himself mentally prepared to witness and mete out death, he was an Uchiha after all, a survivor, and had spent hours pouring over various tales of battles in their vast library. There was nothing in those pages that could prepare him for that... _thing_. There was no way that was normal, that crawling sensation as if Fear's fingers were wrapping around his neck trying to choke him. What the hell was he supposed to do with a monster as a teammate? Lost in thought, he jumped when a deep voice interrupted his morbid musings.

"A ninja should always be aware of their surroundings," Kakashi chided the genin, his voice even and calm. He raised an eyebrow as the dark haired boy huffed and crossed his arms, turning his back to him in a show of offense at his intrusion. The jonin had noticed the way Sasuke had blatantly been walking wide circles around Naruto and treating him like a live bomb that could explode at any second. He also saw the way his fearful caution seemed to wound the jinchuriki more than any of the competitive insults the rivals frequently slung at one another. Determined to preserve what hard earned unity his team had, the sensei decided a reality check was in order.

"The life of a ninja is a dangerous one, and a short one if we get complacent and let down our guard," continued the seasoned Shinobi in a nonchalant tone. "Enemies will not care how young or how talented or how admired you are, if you are in the way of their objectives, your life is forfeit in their mind."

Sasuke scoffed, eager to reestablish his self image. "Everyone knows that, Sensei. I am an Uchiha, I have awakened my Sharingan. I know what it means to fight for my life or die." Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the bravado the boy was trying to display, but the tremor of his hand as he adjusted his hitai-ate gave him away.

"Then you know, those who leave their comrades behind are worse than scum." The Copy Nin waited a beat as his genin attempted to not cringe at the idea of staying by that monster's side, before continuing to press his point.

"On that bridge, it was us or them. Naruto reacted in defense of his teammates when we needed him. Hinata was injured, I was nearly out of chakra, and you..." Kakashi didn't need to say the words, Sasuke looked down, he had been at his limits, the use of his freshly awakened Sharingan had drained him more than he had anticipated nor cared to admit.

"What he did, what you saw, was exactly what he was born to do. Protect his teammates, his village, and his precious people, using the tools that he was given." Sasuke finally turned to face the tall jounin, black eyes betraying his anxiety despite the rigid set of his shoulders.

"Then why did it feel so _wrong_?" It was an honest question, a recognition of an inability to understand that which his mind desperately wanted to reconcile. How could that presence that bubbled off Naruto like the froth of a witch's brew be a good thing? Kakashi stared hard into the Uchiha's eyes, wanting to convey the importance of his words before they passed his lips.

"We don't always get to choose the tools we are given. But what we choose to build with those tools, is what matters in the end. Naruto seeks to build bonds with people and will guard those bonds at the cost of his life. He will do anything to protect his precious people, no matter what. Perhaps the fact that he is determined to build such honorable bonds despite the tainted tools he has been handed, is his most admirable aspiration of them all. Greater than becoming Hokage, than gaining power, than revenge, than bloodlines, or clan titles?"

The subtle barb was not lost upon the Last Uchiha, his vengeful goal was no secret amongst his teammates, whom the self proclaimed avenger actively sought to distance himself from in his constant efforts to pull ahead of them. Sasuke frowned at the unfavorable comparison of his own goal with the loud blond's, not wanting to admit that his Sensei's words could hit so close to home. Kakashi mentally nodded to himself, seeing the genin pondering his argument.

"C'mon," he drawled, once again slouching into his lazy pose and nonchalantly pulling out his favorite orange book. "Let's go eat dinner before Hinata starts looking for us. She hates it when we let the food get cold."

* * *

Naruto sat by the fire, shoulders hunched under an invisible burden, eyes staring hypnotically into the dancing flames while his teammates rested peacefully around him. His eyes started to drift closed and his hand slid limply from his lap as blessed sleep finally stole over him. Before his consciousness could fully disappear, in the distance a long howl echoed into the night, and his eyes snapped open. Before the baying wail completed its unearthly note it was joined by another, closer, and yet another, louder. Soon a cacophony of snarls and howls filled the air. The cries changed pitch into the shouts of men, screaming in anger, and pain, and fear. Heat built up around him and his skin started to burn, the heavy cloying smell of blood filled his senses and he tried to run away, but the mob was all around him, tearing at him. He threw up his hands in defense only to see his own fingers tipped with long black claws, savagely ripping into their faces. He tried to pull back, but no matter how many fell to his uncontrolled slaughter the screaming never ceased. It crescendoed into a hellish chorus that rattled in his brain and caused all the hairs on his body to stand up on end. "Stop!" he whimpered, but the hoard pressed forward, uninhibited by their missing limbs or eyes. "Stop it! Go away!" His own voice tried to carry out over the masses. "Leave me alone! I don't want to! Stop! Sto—"

"NARUTO-KUN!"

He jolted upright, panting, frantically scanning the forest. The fire had burned down to embers and the only sound was his own pounding heart beat and the whisper of the wind through the trees. The cool touch of soft hands pressed into the heat of his cheeks, and they gently forced his head to turn until pale lavender eyes were all that filled his view.

"Hime..." he rasped, his hands coming up to wrap around her slim wrists, her solidity grounding him in the present. She frowned with pity at his trembling form, his sleeping bag tangled around his legs from his thrashing. She had heard him from her branch up in the canopy, where she had perched for her shift of the night watch, and upon descending to check on him had understood the meaning behind the hoarse cries of his sleep.

"Another dream?" she asked, already knowing the answer, but trying to get him to talk to her, to push him to open up and not bottle everything inside. Kakashi-sensei had warned them that such reactions were common for shinobi, he called it post traumatic stress, and said it was important to reach out and help one another in any way they could.

Naruto exhaled a shaky breath, and she felt him nod in her hands as she settled herself down more comfortably next to him. Across the fire lay their two teammates, sleeping soundly after another long day of walking. Neither of them were fully recovered from the battle on the bridge.

"The same one as last time," the genin mumbled, pressing his face into her touch as she slid her fingers up into his hair and kneaded his temples. Hinata could hear him grinding his teeth from the stress of the nightmare, and drew her thumbs firmly down and around the angle of his jaw, prompting his taut muscles to relax. "You slept longer this time," she pointed out, hoping to encourage him, yet only receiving a grunt in reply, as he dropped his hands to his knees and fisted his blanket.

They sat in silence as the forest slept around them, Hinata carded her fingers back and forth over his scalp, applying pressure from his temples all the way back to the base of his neck in slow, steady repetition until his breathing gradually calmed to match her pace. But despite the comfort she tried to offer, his shoulders remained hunched and tight, his hands clenching and unclenching.

"Hime," his low voice was unusually quiet and hesitant, carrying only to her ears. "Please, can you...do the thing again?" Hinata smiled in the darkness, pleased he had actually asked. The idea had come to her as she contemplated the way his demonic chakra had reacted to her that day of Mizuki's betrayal. The first time he awoke from a traumatic nightmare, she offered to try the technique, but he had pridefully insisted that he would be fine with just a walk to clear his head. After bickering to the point where they were nearly yelling at each other over his stubborn refusal to accept help, in her frustration she had finally hit his tenketsu, immobilizing him entirely. Initially he was shocked at her aggressive move and pissed at the underhanded tactic, but when she began to work he quickly realized that she held the key to the peace of mind that was eluding his frequently interrupted sleep.

Hinata hummed her assent to his meek request, and he shifted his legs out of the sleeping bag, making room for her to sit between them. Crossing her legs she placed her palms flat against his chest, and sympathy washed through her when she felt the damp sweat of his t-shirt and the still rapid pounding of his heart through the thin fabric.

"Relax," she encouraged, and he drew up his knees on each side of her, bracing his forearms across them and shaking out the tension in his hands. She closed her eyes and focused her chakra into her palms, steadily pulsing it to match the rapid pace of his heart rate. Within seconds his shoulders had started to sag, and his breathing evened out. She slowed the pulsing of her chakra, coaxing his body to follow her lead. With a deep sigh his head finally fell forward onto her shoulder and she felt his relief pour through his soul as acutely as her own.

A cloud passed overhead, accentuating the chill in the night air, heralding their return to the northern landscape of the land of fire where spring was once again trying to crack through winter's frost. But Hinata felt only the warmth of being within the cocoon of Naruto's limbs. The heat of his chakra whirled together with her own, calming the turmoil and spreading her soothing aura over him like a cooling balm across burned flesh. She took as much comfort from his presence as she gave, slowly melding into him as her hands slid around his torso to rest upon his back, the movement eliciting a bone deep groan from his chest.

She smirked at his growl, and ran her fingernails down each side of his spine. He flinched and giggled, his hands snapping to her waist to push her away, but she pulsed her chakra and he instantly relaxed like a dog who had his sweet spot scratched, hands slipping loosely to her hips. She felt his hot breath stutter across her neck as he chuckled at her playful trick, and pride filled her at her successful consolation of his demons.

As the minutes passed she slowed her chakra to an undulating pace like the waves of the ocean, ebbing up and down a beach as it washed away all traces of imperfection. She felt him slump harder against her and his breaths deepen. A hand lightly tapped on her shoulder and she blinked up at Kakashi-sensei, who used the hand signals he had made them learn to tell her he was taking over the watch. She nodded once, thinking it was perhaps a bit early for his turn, but grateful all the same that she could stay with Naruto-kun. The silver haired nin gave her a cheeky wink before disappearing up into the trees.

Hinata rolled her eyes and fidgeted under her friend's increasingly dead weight, the long hours of night watch and chakra loss were culminating to something close to exhaustion, making her stifle a yawn. Naruto roused just enough to register her discomfort, but instead of letting her go he clumsily tightened his grip on her waist and pulled her down next to him as he thumped back onto his blanket. Hinata froze, awkwardly tangled in his long legs, fighting down a blossoming blush such as she hadn't experienced in years. Delicately she reached around to loosen his warm hand from where it was pressing firmly into the small of her back, sending a curious tingling sensation up her spine.

Gently laying his arm across his slowly rising chest, she pressed herself up with her elbows to slip away and leave him to enjoy his long sought rest. Just as Hinata thought she had escaped his semiconscious embrace, she felt his hand wrap around her wrist. Looking down she found his blue eyes hazily trying to focus, finally locking onto her pearly gaze as she fought down the butterflies that suddenly seemed to engulf her stomach. His grip tightened, and a look of discomfort crossed his clouded face, "Stay, Hime? Please? Just for tonight," he whispered with a voice already husky from slumber.

Hinata swallowed a lump that suddenly formed in her throat as she sees not the trained shinobi who just slaughtered an entire gang of men, but the lonely boy who is timidly admitting he is still afraid of what lurks in the dark. She nodded, not trusting her voice, and was gratified to see the crease of his brow smooth out in relief. He reached down, patting around the ground until he located the edge of his sleeping bag, and as she settles herself next to him he whips it up to cover them both. The action causes his body heat to instantly engulf her back as he hugs her to his chest like a body pillow. She has never been so grateful for darkness, for her cheeks are nearly stinging with her powerful blush.

The smell of moisture is on the air, and as she lazily blinks her eyes she can see a brisk cool fog begin to creep across the forest floor in the patchy moonlight, and thinks perhaps tonight was a perfect night to be in her best friend's embrace. Just as she feels herself slipping into oblivion she hears his voice whisper into her hair, "thank you, Hime."

* * *

Naruto leaned his head back against the massive bronze bar of the cage and smiled out into the vast cavern of his mind. He had been spending more time here, meditating, mostly just letting the Fox get used to his presence. The Demon had raged at first, striking his claws against the cage until sparks flew and sizzled in the water. But he had learned that there was no intimidating the stubborn blond, and whenever the grinning boy showed up to sit with his back pressed against the bars in a show of bravado that was either stupid or heroic, the Kyuubi simply retreated deeper into his prison and pretended to be asleep. Naruto considered that progress, even if it had taken nearly a year to accomplish.

"It feels nice doesn't it? Her chakra." The jinchuriki sighed blissfully and laced his fingers behind his head, gazing up at the twisting blue bands of light that dance like the aurora borealis across the black "sky".

"Ever since I first met her, she has always had a way of making me feel...calm. Like I was anxiously looking for something, but I forgot what it was, and the ache was driving me insane. Then she came along, and I felt..." he closed his eyes and twisted his face up in thought, mulling over the complexity of the emotions that he still cannot quite put a name to, shrugging as he decided on a word that almost explained it "...complete."

He looked back over his shoulder at the beast who merely flicked his tails in annoyance at the blabbering one-sided conversation. "Do you know what that feels like Fox? To be lost, and then found?"

When he receives no answer, he shakes his head and rises to his feet, shuffling back towards the black tunnel. Yet despite the lackluster response, he feels like each visit is a step forward on a hellishly long journey with the supposed Embodiment of Eternal Hatred. Every time he enters this place he opens his senses and greets his tenant, chipping away at the ridiculously strong walls with which the Nine Tails vehemently guards his emotions. But that one small chink in the beast's armor is always there, and Naruto knows, the Kyuubi longs for something. Something that was taken away, leaving him boiling with hatred and bent on revenge. Was it freedom? Obviously. But simply setting him loose wouldn't instantly turn him from a rabid fox into a fluffy kitten, his reputation for delivering apocalyptic carnage was established ages before he had become the occupant of any jinchuriki. Something else had happened long before his imprisonment, Naruto was certain. Now he just had to figure out what the hell it was.

Long after his red scarfed figure had disappeared down the black corridor, Hinata's pure blue chakra continued to seep into the chamber, coalescing with the bright glow of Naruto's own to create an essence of nostalgia that triggers a memory deep within the demon's lost soul. And all alone in his prison, a fox purrs.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Chapter 17

Ane-sama stormed into the room with all the grace of a hurricane making land. Her father looked up and pursed his lips at her gruff behavior but said nothing and shooed away the Branch lad who served as his secretary. The younger man skittered out of the room as quickly as possible, no one lingered in the Honorable Wife's presence when she was in such a mood. And these moods were usually the cause for such sudden visits to her Father's office. She stood with her arms angrily crossed over a slightly protruding stomach, nearly tapping her foot in impatience while she bit her tongue to keep from spilling her words in front of the outsider.

The door had barely slid shut and she was already snarling. "He's doing it again, Otou-san! How can I hold up my head when he is openly betraying me with no shame whatsoever?! What good is being the Honorable Wife if my husband is the one continuing to dishonor me!"

Satoshi grits his teeth as he clears the documents from his desk, one time during a particularly lively tantrum Ane had swept all his papers from his desk, spilling ink on everything. The father did not blame her for her outbursts, in his mind they were all justified, but he would rather not risk being victimized by the venting of her frustrations. And who would not be frustrated by the blatant affairs of a husband who possessed a young and beautiful wife?

"You are the one with the title, you are the one Branch members bow to," her father attempted to console his furious daughter. He had learned long ago that her quick mind came with a quick temper. Ane had been a singularly driven girl from a very young age, and when denied her desires she could be particularly pernicious. He was certain Kami Herself had heard more than an earful of complaints over the injustice of her lack of male progeny. But when divine intervention and opportunity failed to heed her demands, Ane forced her own will upon fate. During her youth It was rather worrisome to witness as her parent, but the way she tenaciously set about executing her plans as an adult, Satoshi would easily admit no small amount of pride for his daughter. She was the apple of his eye, and were she a boy he knew she would have been a fierce shinobi. As it was, he would never hesitate to use his position to offer her any advantage he could provide. But right now, he could only give her simple words of comfort. "The woman is nothing," he placated her, setting aside his brush and pushing his inkwell away to safety before finally giving her his undivided attention. "A distraction. And now this child will seal your place."

Ane clicked her teeth in anger, feeling her father was being dismissive of her concern with his even tone and smooth answer. She hated that her Hanabi would most likely be easily set aside for this younger sibling, simply because it possessed a penis. The headstrong mother had seen to it that the incredibly sharp and bold girl was given the best available early training for one who potentially would be the Head of the Clan. No woman had ever held such a position, but if anyone could do it, it would be her firecracker disguised as a sweet little girl.

"I shouldn't need another child to maintain my position!" Ane paced back and forth across the stately decorated room in her agitation. "I was chosen by Himself to be by his side! I have given him a child who is more than worthy of his succession, if he would just stop long enough to see her. Hanabi already has twice the potential that other girl had at the same age. She may only be four but her spirit is that of a born leader. This babe is purely to ensure that Hiashi has no excuse to set me aside." Turning to face her father she was slightly gratified to find him nodding his agreement to her convictions; he had been the one to arrange for a few of the tudors that Hanabi had begun to study under after all. Ane relied on his connections to expand her reach outside that of just the occupants of the compound in order to ensure her daughter would be surrounded by the best minds.

Satoshi had been a valued member of the Hyuga council since before she was even born, and the position had allowed them to establish a level of prestige amongst the Branch family that was nearly on par with Hizashi. His respected rank and frequent mingling with the Main family was how she had managed to be present at that fateful tea with Hitomi-sama, which had sparked the thought that propelled all her plans. No one questioned the presence of the esteemed council member's daughter by the koi pond when she had caught Hiashi's eye years ago.

Years that seemed more like eons ago. The bliss of their new marriage had quickly fizzled out with Hiashi's disappointment regarding Hanabi. Ane would never admit out loud how much she had loathed her daughter for the first few days after her birth. The child was the cause of so much pain, physical and emotional, that the immature mother had nearly rejected her offspring out of spite. But then she actually stopped to see her face, and in her keen eyes and small rosebud lips, her silky straight chocolate hair, she had seen herself reflected back to her. And Ane had realized with a jolt that this wasn't just any child, this was _her_ child, her flesh and blood, and she found her heart being pulled into a level of love and devotion she had never imagined existed outside of herself. Suddenly all her plans expanded to include not only the preservation of her place in Hiashi's life, but Hanabi's place in the Hyuga Clan. Since then Ane had made everyone who came in contact with the child treat her as the heiress and future leader that she knew her daughter would be.

Satoshi was already shaking his head at his daughter's worries before she finished her statement. "The council would never allow Hiashi to create another scandal such as what he did with Hitomi. The backlash from the event guaranteed as much," her father couldn't help the pleased smile that twitched at his thin mouth. The small role he had played in assuring that the Kumo Nin would have no problems gaining access to the little heiress was not a wasted effort, setting in motion a favorable chain of events that even he had to admit was surprising. "His leadership is already wavering within the clan. He is almost completely dependent on Hizashi to maintain control of the Branch side."

"Too dependent by far," Ane grumbled and briefly winced, bringing a hand to momentarily rub her lower back. She stopped wearing a path into the rich rug with her pacing and leaned a hip against a polished table, her restlessness causing her to distractedly pluck the petals off a flower in a ridiculously expensive vase. "I don't trust that man. I feel like he looks at me like a teacher looks at a wayward child."

Her father frowned her words and her idle destruction of his office as he stood to come to her side.

"Ane, sit. The midwife has threatened to put you on bedrest if you don't calm down. Fretting over the thoughts of foolish men will only cause you more trouble."

She huffs but allows him to lead her to a nearby chair where she ungracefully flops down, tossing a cushion onto the floor when it didn't sit against her torso just right. "It's not just the affairs," she sighs, rubbing her unblemished forehead in distress. "Tadao has been pressuring me as well, he wants me to run away with him. Fool. Where would we go?"

Satoshi snorts at the ignorance of the dimwitted but loyal Branch guard who he knew his daughter had needed to use in order to give the ironically incapable Clan Head any hope of 'continuing his line'. "You have told him no, surely?"

"Of course! Almost. Argggh," she tosses her head back against the high backed chair. "It was never supposed to be like this. It was only supposed to be the one time, and then I would have a son and I could forget all about him. But after all the..." She waves a hand through the air, trying to use the flippant movement to disguise the lump in her throat that always appeared when she thought of her lost children, gone before they ever drew breath. "... well, it just was so much easier to ensure his loyalty and his silence of I let him think we loved each other." While the frequently inebriated chunin would never hold her affection as a lover, Ane found his devotion quite flattering, and had allowed him to carve out a small soft spot in her heart with his ceaseless worship of herself.

The father stared hard at her, trying to determine if there was any reciprocating feeling betrayed on her expression. Her face was weary, a small line had formed between her frequently drawn brows, making her look older than her twenty-two years. The physical and mental stress of four miscarriages in nearly as many years had taken their toll. She was still young, but the glory of her youth had long since dulled. Satoshi frowned deeper with his growing ire for the arrogant Clan Head who had taken the bright young girl and turned her into a prematurely aging woman. Hiashi was ruining the entire clan from the inside out with his irrational obsession with his legacy, combined with the prideful belief that he could do no wrong and deserved to be denied nothing. If this child was not a boy, he dreaded the thought of what the man might do to his daughter, to his granddaughter. Their whole position within the complex hierarchy of the Hyuga was in that selfish man's grasp. Satoshi would do anything to ensure the safety of his family and their hard earned place in the upper echelons of rank. His daughter had sacrificed too much, he would not allow her to suffer any more.

Ane sighed deeply as she rubbed a spot on her abdomen, "I just wish they both could go away. Those men do nothing but complicate my life. Hanabi and I would be better off without either of them."

Her father tapped his hand on the edge of his desk thoughtfully. His eyes resting on the stack of documents with the neatly written minutes from the last council meeting. The chunin exams were coming up, and the Hyuga had two applicants. These things were always a busy time for shinobi, but this year the exams were being held in Konoha, so the whole city would be feeling the strain of hundreds of travelers squeezing into its walls. So many people, so many shinobi, so many foreigners, surely it would be plausible for someone to slip through the cracks of security, and the head of the Hyuga clan would be an obvious target that no one would question as the prey of an assassin. Especially if said assassin could be pinned down as a disgruntled Branch house guard with an unhealthy obsession involving the Honorable Wife?

"Leave it to me," Satoshi reassures with a thin smile, his cunning pale eyes crinkling. "You focus on caring for your children, and I will do the same."

* * *

Sakura patted down her bangs over her slightly larger than normal forehead, still conscientious about her broad attribute even after all these years. She had really hoped that puberty would do her a favor and let her grow into the thing, but alas, her teenage body remained lacking in more than one area, in her opinion. She shifted the bento off her lap and straightened her new skirt over exposed creamy thighs, hoping that what she lacked in curves she could make up for with her long legs and tall black boots. Over the years she had attempted multiple methods of gaining the attention of a certain Uchiha, and today she planned to try a new tactic.

As the weary members of Team Seven entered the village, the pink haired girl perked up from her spot on a bench where she had not-so-patiently been awaiting their arrival. Quickly trotting over to greet Sasuke as he straightened from signing his name on the ledger page, the usually aggressive girl blushed cutely at the sight of her long time crush. "Welcome back Sasuke-kun," she chirpped and swiftly held out the box of food to him. "I thought you might be hungry after your long journey, so I made you some onigiri with pickled tomatoes on the side." She flashed him her most pleasant smile which she had practiced in the mirror until it was perfect, all the while internally screaming for him to accept her offer and finally acknowledge her feelings.

Naruto leaned down to whisper in Hinata's ear, "Do you think she got Shino to bug him again? How else would she know when we would arrive?" Hinata side eyed her friend and elbowed him playfully.

"Oh stop," she chided. "I think it's sweet how those boys help her out with her unrequited love."

"It's creepy. Literally," to emphasize his point the blond teasingly tickled Hinata's head with his fingertips, mimicking the crawling of a swarm of beetles through her hair. "Shhh!" she hissed, but grinned as she slapped his hands away. "I'm listening!"

Sasuke ignored the loud whispers of his eavesdropping teammates and clicked his teeth rudely, still irked at the fawning admiration the pink haired kunoichi showered him with after all this time. Most of his hoard of fangirls had eventually gotten the hint to back off after his repeatedly terse responses to their declarations of love, or just flat out avoidance of them. But this girl, along with that other loud blond, (what was it about that hair color that made them so _obnoxious_?) insisted on continuing their pursuit of his nonexistent affections. Looking down his fine, straight Uchiha nose at her wide green eyes and hopeful expression, he pretended his stomach did not just grumble at the mention of homemade food.

"You're so annoying," he muttered under his breath, but he knows she heard. Not waiting to see the way her shoulders sag in defeat, he turned to continue on his way, only to come face to face with a steely-eyed Hinata. She grimly crosses her arms, and he swallows hard when he sees the veins of her bloodline throb threateningly across her temples. Her mouth twitched with that tight smile which scarily reminded him of his mother when he sassed her about his chores, not that he would ever admit that to his teammate in a million years.

"I know you didn't just rudely dismiss a girl who was kindly offering you a gift," she says in a sing-song tone that doesn't hide the steel underneath it.

Sasuke hunched his shoulders and scowled at his teammate, his bottom lip just barely protruding in a hint of a pout. But experience has taught him that it's best he comply before she progresses from 'maternal glare' to 'knuckle cracking threat', and so he turns back to address Sakura, whose mouth is hanging open in shock at how quickly he heeded the Hyuga's unsaid command. He stiffly accepted the bento, pulling it out of her limp grasp, and grumbled out a politely phrased thank-you before stalking away.

Sakura blinked slowly as she watched him slip around the corner where Kakashi just disappeared, absently bringing her tingling fingers up to her warm cheek. Snapping back to earth she suddenly lunged at Hinata and gripped her hands in a vice-like hold."Teach me your ways!" she demanded in an awed tone.

Momentarily speechless, Hinata gently tried to pull her hands back, awkwardly forcing out a sheepish laugh in an attempt to relax the fangirl whose eyes were nearly turning into hearts.

"Simple," Naruto cut in, "don't pine after assholes." Succeeding to free herself on the second attempt, Hinata flicked his forehead dead center without even turning to look, and gave the desperate admirer a sympathetic smile. "Maybe later Sakura-chan, we have a long debriefing ahead of us." The pink haired girl deflated a little but elicited a promise from the Hyuga for a 'girls date' with a few of the other kunoichi before leaving the pair to catch up to their team.

"Take it easy on her," Hinata scolded as they quickly move toward the Hokage Tower, "Sakura-chan honestly likes him."

Naruto scoffed at her sentimental view of the very one-sided love affair, "Teme doesn't deserve her devotion, why he probably chucked that bento in the nearest trash can as soon as he was out of sigh—"

His statement died on his lips as they rounded the corner to find Sasuke cramming the last bite of tomato into his mouth. He was in the midst of greedily licking his fingers when he eventually noticed their matching smug expressions, and promptly pulled his middle finger out of his mouth to grumpily flip them off.

Unable to resist an opportunity to tease the reluctant Romeo, Naruto proceeded to chase his red faced teammate through the streets, bellowing his taunts at the top of his lungs as Kakashi obliviously sauntered on, masked nose buried in his smut, completely unaware and uncaring of the disruptive behavior of his wild genin. Hinata is just about ready to shake their Sensei back to the present when she heard Sasuke's shouts change in tone, and hurriedly turned back from stalking the gray-haired jonin to locate the place where she now heard the sounds of what seemed to be a more serious fight erupting.

Skidding to a stop next to Naruto, she sees he is frowning at an older boy in a black hooded bodysuit whose face is covered in garish purple war paint and angrily threatening Sasuke for knocking him on his ass. The two aggressive males are quickly allowing an accidental collision to escalate into a shouting match barbed with scathing insults. Hinata anxiously notes the increasing number of disdainful looks being cast their way, most of which skim over the Uchiha to settle on her best friend. She places a hand on Naruto's arm, intent on whispering a quick plan to separate the two angry boys, but pauses when she sees he isn't looking at them at all, but had his blue eyes sharply focused up into a tree near the side of the path.

Naruto had noticed the foreign hitae-ate on the other guy with the weird cat hoodie, and used the distraction of Sasuke's temper tantrum to reach out with his senses and get an idea of the unknown shinobi's chakra. But upon opening his mind, he was hit with a massive wall of killer intent that had the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end and sweat beading across his forehead. Immediately honing in on the source in a nearby tree, the jinchuriki had forced himself to endure the oppressive weight of the monstrous chakra in order to try and dissect its corrupted nature. What he found had him rapidly retreating back to reality and instantly clamping down his own chakra to nearly negligible levels just as the enigma in the canopy called out to the other boy below.

"Hime," Naruto whispered harshly, "use your Byakugan on that guy up there and tell me what you see." Hinata instantly goes on alert as she hears the tremor in his voice and feels the tension in his frame, flaring her chakra up into her eyes. Easily zeroing in on the signature above them, she stiffened and hissed sharply through her teeth. "His coils are massive, almost as blinding as yours," she murmurs, blinking as though she is staring into the sun. "His network is strained though, like its fighting to burst out of his body, and the flow of it is...flawed." Hinata quickly deactivated her bloodline and rubbed a hand over her face as she hunted for the words to describe the dangerously overwrought channels. "Yours is like an intense maelstrom, whirling in a coordinated spiral throughout your network. His is...wilder. More chaotic, like...like..."

"Like a rabid animal," Naruto finishes in a grave tone, and Hinata does not miss the way his hand fisted over his abdomen. Her eyes widened as she connected the dots between the involuntary gesture and Naruto's train of thought. _Could there be another person like Naruto-kun?_ Turning an even more alarmed gaze back up to the tree, she pondered the tumultuous mayhem of the ninja's chakra compared the thrumming rush of her best friend's. No, she decided firmly, whatever similarities they may share, that person was _nothing_ like Naruto-kun.

Almost as if he sensed their scrutiny Gaara's head snapped their way and they fully bore the brunt of his piercing gaze. The eerie teal orbs seem too vibrant for his black ringed expression. The shocking red color of his hair was reminiscent of the bright warning hues sported by poisonous animals. Naruto cannot suppress the surge of emotion conjured up by the unbalanced expression of emptiness and frenzy in those eyes. There's something about them, behind the hard shell, a hollowness that reminds him of his own forcefully repressed childhood. Something inside him recognized this person, but it's equally at war with the intense instinct to flee. Deep in his mind he feels a low growl rumble through his subconscious, and he knows the kyuubi is wide awake.

Before he can further contemplate his inner demon's reaction, the redhead called out from his high perch, "Kankuro, leave them be, he is too strong for you." His tone was flat, no emotion betrayed in the expression on his face, but other Nin immediately obeyed, nearly cowering in reply to the low command. The overly fearful response had all three members of Team Seven immensely suspicious of the pale, fatigued boy who hopped down to lightly land in front of Sasuke. Completely ignoring the rest of the restless group he approached the uneasy Uchiha until he was glaring straight into his frowning face. A sudden maniacal gleam lit up the bright teal eyes. "Strong indeed," he crooned in a deep voice, his malicious smile widening as he tilted his head as though lending an ear to a whispered secret. "Mother cries out for your blood. I will fight you and once again prove my existence."

Sasuke fought to keep his body from betraying his alarm, forcing the sneer on his own face not to waver. "Your mother is no concern of mine, I have no intention of allowing you to spill so much as a single drop of my blood."

The cork of the large gourd strapped to the shinobi's back began to rattle as though some creature was trying to claw its way out. Sasuke's hand went for his ninja pouch, ready to defend himself from the attack he felt sure was coming, when a female voice called out, "Gaara! Save it for the chunin exams! There is no point to brawling in the streets when there is nothing to be gained with the victory."

All eyes except those of the slightly crazed ninja shifted to the pig-tailed blond who was rapidly headed toward him. She quickly approached and laid a gentle hand on his thin shoulder, talking to him the way one would address a frenzied animal, with a soft lilting tone that was almost condescending with its sweetness. "Remember the plan, Gaara. We fight for Suna, not for ourselves."

The words seem to have the intended effect, and the gourd slowly ceased shaking as Gaara cast one last murderous glare to Sasuke before abruptly disappearing in a sandy shunshin. As soon as he was gone the older girl lashed out at the remaining boy, choking him in a fierce headlock until his face was nearly as purple as his war paint. Naruto and Sasuke looked on in sympathetic horror, Hinata looked impressed.

"I apologize for the behavior of my brothers," she grits out between clenched teeth, barely breaking a sweat despite her struggling victim's flailing arms. "My name is Temari, we have just arrived from Suna for the chunin exams."

Still greatly put off by the aggressive display, the boys merely gawk at her, leaving Hinata to be the one to respond. Instantly transforming from dirty genin to regal Hyuga, she easily assumes the role of level headed conciliator. "Not to worry, Temari-san. I hope your stay goes smoothly. We must be on our way to an appointment now. We will see you again at the exams."

While they had trudged along the dirt roads back to Konoha from the Land of Waves, Kakashi-sensei had discussed the upcoming exams with his team, explaining that he felt confident in the strength of their individual abilities, but that they could only advance as a coordinated team. His emphasis on teamwork as a key component had all three genin contemplating their potential for success. They had grown by leaps and bounds since that day of the bell test, but the tension between the two alpha personalities of Naruto and Sasuke frequently led them into trouble, causing them to be overly reliant on Hinata or Kakashi to maintain peace in order to successfully complete a mission. After the 'event' on the bridge, they were more divided than ever. Hinata's confident statement confirming their participation in the chunin exams was more of a bluff than the three wanted to admit.

The two kunoichi bow stiffly to one another, with Temari forcing the trapped head of her brother to bow with her, before each turn to make a quick disappearance.

"That was just creepy as all fu—" Hinata slaps a hand over Naruto's mouth and grabs a nearly snarling Sasuke by the uniquely tall Uchiha style collar he wore and hurriedly drags them off before they can cause more trouble. The three catch up to Kakashi, who has continued on without pause, nose stuck in his book and completely ignoring his surroundings yet accurately dodging obstacles all the same.

"What's gotten into you?" Hinata hissed as she released Sasuke, who twisted away from her grasp and yanked at his stretched collar. "Of all the people to start a staring contest with, you pick that guy? Something is _wrong_ with that kid, his own siblings seemed afraid of him!"

"You got that right," Naruto huffed. "His glare could cut glass, even compared to crazy eyes over here he looks one stubbed toe away from going bezerk."

"Do not insult the Uchiha!" Sasuke was getting dangerously close to reaching his limit of bullshit today. He was tired, he was angry, and now his teammate was insulting his bloodline? _This idiot better shut his mouth before I—_

"Oh-ho! Did the emotionless bastard suddenly get his feelings hurt?" Naruto rubbed his whiskered cheeks in a taunting motion of a crying baby, pouting in an exaggerated way.

The line was crossed, the fire was ignited, and Sasuke was sick of holding back. "I'd rather be emotionless than a murdering lunatic!"

"The fuck did you just call me!?" the jinchuriki growled as he pushed past Hinata with red flashing in his eyes.

"You heard me, _freak_!"

A vicious fist fight erupted between the irate teammates, both screaming such extreme insults that nearby civilians were scattering for cover. Their uncontrolled anger had them locked in fierce combat, staggering into an alley, knocking over trash cans and sending a cat running for its life. Hinata sighed, running her hands through her greasy bangs in frustration. All she wanted was to get the damn debriefing over with, collect her pay, and hit the onsen for a long hard earned soak that made her skin prune. But no, these boys of hers had to choose this moment to finally put all the unsaid fear and resentment out into the open.

The thought of interfering crossed her mind, but despite the temptation she simply posted up at the entrance of the narrow lane, ensuring that the brawl stayed confined to the small space. Some people just had to work their problems out in their own way, and if this juvenile exposition fixed the destructive divide growing between her teammates, Hinata would gladly allow it.

This fight had been brewing for a while, tensions had been high the whole way home between the two genin. Naruto's sulking over Sasuke giving him the cold shoulder had grown into a bitter frustration which caused the jinchuriki to retaliate by pestering his teammate to the point of torture. Naruto would say anything in an attempt to get a reaction out of the stoic Uchiha. The judgmental ostracism had triggered Naruto's childhood tendency to crave even negative attention over nothing at all. Hinata had tried to coax Sasuke into verbalizing what was on his mind, but he was not one for therapeutic chats about his troubles. So the wounded hearts of both boys had continued to fester.

_At least they are just sticking to their fists and not using chakra,_ Hinata thought, grimacing as Sasuke swiftly landed a brutal kick to Naruto's left side that he was unable to block. The blond allowed the momentum to carry him to the wall where he planted his feet and launched himself back at his teammate, bowling them both over onto the filthy street.

"Protecting my teammates does not make me a freak!" Naruto growled as he pulled back to deliver a full power punch straight into his opponent's jaw.

Sasuke saw the hit coming and was able to twist away but Naruto had anticipated this and grabbed him by the shirt, sweeping his legs out from under him.

"I never asked for your protection!" the fuming Uchiha yelled as he fought for the upper hand on the cold concrete. "I'm not some weakling who needs a savior every time I get a scratch!"

Naruto tried to smash Sasuke's face into the stale water that puddled beneath a rusty rainspout, twisting his arm painfully behind his back. But Sasuke was able to roll away and kicked the blond in the chest with the full force of both feet.

"I never thought you were weak," the blond wheezed. "I'm your teammate dammit, not your babysitter! I only did that because I had no choice," Naruto charged back at Sasuke, head down like a wild bull. They collided in an exchange of powerful blows, dodging some and landing others, a frenzy of bruising attacks and blocks. His outrage mounting, Sasuke abandoned his perfect taijutsu form and grabbed the bright orange jacket, flat out head butting Naruto with such might his vision momentarily blanked.

"How do I know you're not lying?" he shouted, reflexively activating his Sharingan to cancel out his blurry sight. "How do I know that you're not gonna snap one day and slaughter us all? How can you be so sure you have control over that, _thing_?" Throwing his body weight forward he is somehow able to seize the dazed genin by the throat and pin him to the filthy alley wall.

"Because I'm not just showing off," Naruto choked out around Sasuke's vice-like grip on his neck. "I'm not out to prove my power or test my abilities. I want to be stronger so I can save my friends, not hurt them. I will never forget that. I will never betray you."

Sasuke's red eyes spun as he sneered into Naruto's face. "What makes you so sure you won't lose control? What makes you so different from a genius? From a man who was supposed to protect me, his younger brother, but instead slaughtered my entire family in a single night of wrath and judgment! What gives you the right to declare that you can control your demonic beast but the fucking strongest Uchiha to walk the Leaf since Madara himself couldn't control his own mind and destroyed the legacy of an entire clan with his insanity?! Tell me, Naruto! Tell me how I can ever trust anybody ever again!?"

Throughout the rant Naruto's eyes had never left Sasuke's face, never flinched away at his anger, never shifted to the side in shame. He met his black gaze, met his intensity, bore his anger and shared his burden. He brought up a hand, not to the shaking grasp around his throat, but to Sasuke's chest, bumping the knuckles of his fist over his teammate's heart.

"Because, despite our differences, we have forged a bond. You, me, Hime, Kakashi-sensei. We have fought together, bled together, we are stronger together." Sasuke's teeth were bared in a grimace that was as much composed of pain as fury. His breath was hissing sharply through his clenched jaw, his eyes squeezed shut to fight the tears that threatened.

"We are a family. A fucked up one, but a family I wouldn't trade for anything," the blond hoarsely continued. "The families we were given have been taken away. _This_ is the family we have created, and you are my brother by _choice_. I will protect my forged family to my dying breath, and I never go back on my word."

Sasuke's hand slid away, his head falling to his chest as his shoulders shook. His knees buckled, splashing in the stagnant water of the isolated street, and Hinata was instantly at his side, gathering him up in an embrace that supported his wounded body and heart. Naruto knelt on his other side, wrapping an arm around them both, holding his team, _his family_ , together. And in that dark alley, a rift was mended.

Somehow dodging yet another meandering civilian despite only having a single eye exposed, and buried in a book at that, Kakashi blinked up at the Hokage Tower, somewhat surprised that he had arrived already. _Nothing like a good book to pass the time,_ he mused contentedly as he turned to escort his genin to the long overdue debriefing.

"Holy Hell! What happened to you guys?" he yelped at the sight of the three filthy shinobi who reeked of sewage as they calmly sauntered into the building. Naruto merely grinned in response, crossing his arms behind his head as he passed by the stunned sensei. Sasuke just grunted as usual, but couldn't hide a small smile that looked morbidly out of place with his left eye swelling shut with a gnarly purple bruise. The jonin gaped after them, nearly missing Hinata until she snatched his book from his loose grip.

"Oi! That's mine!" he cried as he lunged for the precious paperback, only to freeze when greeted by a palm that danced with deadly chakra. Hinata smirked and spun around to climb up the stairs to the Hokage's office. "And now it's mine until the debriefing is done. You need to give your _full_ attention to the mission report, remember _Sensei_?"

Kakashi pouted at her back as he jammed his hands in his pockets in response to her patronizing tone. "FINE, but there better not be any pages missing when I get it back!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

CHAPTER 18

The sunlight scattered patterned shadows across the grass, and a sudden breeze rattled the chain link fence at their backs as Team Seven scanned the crowd outside the infamous Forest of Death. Determination was firmly set on their faces. Sasuke delivered his patented Uchiha glare at anyone who dared make eye contact, Hinata looked every bit the intimidating Hyuga with her shoulders thrown back and arms crossed, and Naruto's whiskers twisted into a vulpine smirk as he opened his senses to assess their competition.

"What do you see, Naruto-kun?" Hinata murmured just loud enough for the two teammates at her sides to hear. She tipped her head forward, allowing her long midnight hair to disguise the raised veins at her temples as she also took stock of the other shinobi around them. Naruto displayed no such subtlety with his intentions, and used his height to stare steady blue eyes down upon all the other genin who anxiously milled around in the early morning. Everyone here knew this was a competition, so he saw no point in pretending to be non-threatening.

"The biggest threats are that maniac from Sand and that Grass kunoichi over by Team Eight," he gestured in their direction with a lift of his chin. "She's just...ridiculous, got chakra levels like Ero-sennin. There's no way in hell that chick is a genin." Hinata noticed that his confident grin had slipped away, and he was shifting restlessly beside her. Curious, she turned her attention to the team from the relatively unknown country.

"Her chakra coils are very disproportionate," the Hyuga squinted suspiciously at the contorted network exposed by her bloodline. "Her increased chakra must be recently acquired, or partially disguised somehow? Her network anatomy doesn't match what you're describing." Naruto shrugged in response to Hinata's assessment, as he closed his senses off to the sea of chakra signatures around him and shook his head to clear away the intense flood of sensation.

"Maybe she's a plant, or a decoy placed in here to thin the herd," Sasuke suggested, throwing an annoyed look at the blond. "That crazy jonin was complaining about how many people passed the written exam."

Naruto had the decency to look sheepish, as it was his own impassioned declarations that had encouraged so many genin to wait out the tenth question of the written exam instead of surrendering. He had been at no risk of failing personally, but the arrogant threats the intimidating jonin with the garishly scarred face had bellowed at them were insulting to the entire mindset of a shinobi, and Naruto just couldn't keep his mouth shut. Plus he had complete faith in his team to answer the question correctly one way or another.

Back in the academy he and Hinata had worked out a way of "helping" each other during tests by using his shadow clones in various ways. For the chunin exam he had transformed a shadow clone into a pencil that the two friends surreptitiously swapped between them, so he could copy some of her answers from the section on historical treaties and country laws, which always were his weak point. And Hinata had easily used her Byakugan to copy his portion of the physics formulas and calculations, subjects that came almost naturally to him after studying so much fuuinjutsu. Sasuke had been assigned a spot across the room, but was easily answering questions on his own, and using his Sharingan to copy the rest from a nearby Konoha genin with glasses who had mentioned it was his seventh time taking the exam. The fact that not a single written answer even mattered in the end, was just the kind of frustrating ninja trickery that passed as irony amongst shinobi. But the fact that Team Seven had survived the first round intact, made it difficult to complain.

As they now stood together outside the tall barrier that separated them from the second round, with their scrolls packed and weapons sharpened, they continued to survey their prospective enemies, each trying to ignore the thrill of fear and adrenaline produced by this next challenge.

Shouts drew their attention to Team Eight, where they saw Kiba loudly mouthing off to the purple haired proctor, earning him a slashed cheek from a flying kunai that she launched in his direction. Sasuke grunted in disgust as the leering kunoichi draped her arms around the Inuzuka's shoulders and ran her tongue slowly up his stunned face, licking the trail of blood that dripped down his chin.

"I could've happily lived my life without ever having seen that," Naruto shuddered as the scantily clad proctor laughed too hard at her own sultry teasing. Before her creepy mockery was done, a grotesquely long tongue slithered over her shoulder with the thrown blade dangling from its forked tip. In unison Team Seven cringed and gagged at the suggestive gesture by the Grass kunoichi as she returned the weapon to its overly affectionate owner.

"It's so gross, it's not even impressive," Hinata groaned into her hand.

Their horrified staring was interrupted by Sakura clomping a red faced Kiba on the head, screaming at him to control himself, while Shino's beetles audibly increased their agitated buzzing.

"Moving on..." Naruto awkwardly cleared his throat, forcing himself to look away. "Hime, are you able to tell which teams have the scroll we need? Maybe we could get an idea of who to target when we enter the forest and avoid the rest of the Konoha teams."

Sasuke snorted at the juvenile perspective of the loyal sentimentality Naruto adhered to even at a time like this. "These are the chunin exams, you softie. Don't you think we've grown beyond playing favorites? We are supposed to fight them in the Forest of Death not organize a camp out."

"There are plenty of other teams with Earth scrolls," Hinata interjected before the two could get started. "I can see one team from Sound, two from Iwa, and my personal favorite," she grins in an evil way, "one from Kumo." The ominous cracking of her knuckles immediately had both boys taking a half step away from the righteously indignant Hyuga.

"Welp, you heard the lady! Kumo it is then," Naruto rubbed his hands together, the anticipation making him even more fidgety. Sasuke hummed in an amused way, turning to face the gate they had been assigned for entrance into Training Ground 44. "I didn't realize you could be so vengeful, Hinata. I knew you'd come around eventually."

Hinata stuck her tongue out at the sarcastic comment just as the crazy purple-haired jonin who must have forgotten how to dress herself suddenly screamed out the call for readiness, and the teammates instantly dropped into a runner's crouch. Naruto couldn't contain the excited grin that split his face and swore he even felt the Kyuubi flick his tails in anticipation. They had prepared diligently for this day, and he was certain their hard work would pay off in a spectacular way.

The gates flew open and they launched into the canopy as the battle cries of genin from around the world filled the air.

* * *

It was a catastrophe. They were in no way prepared for any of this.

Naruto groaned as he slowly roused from a deep sleep that left him feeling weak and groggy. His eyes quickly adjusted to the pale hues of the early morning light reflecting off the jagged walls of a small cave, where it appeared he and his teammates have spent the night. The details of yesterday's battle come back to him with painful clarity as he takes in the gut wrenching sight of Hime's bandaged eyes, and Sasuke's feverish shifting.

The fight with the Grass kunoichi was outrageously excessive in its ruthless brutality and sinister aspects. None of them could land a hit. Hinata couldn't get anywhere close enough to use her Gentle Fist. Naruto's clones were destroyed by snakes that were constantly erupting from all sides of the dense brush. Sasuke, the continued target of her monstrous attacks despite his having offered up their scroll in surrender, was barely fending off the freakishly long necked shinobi. Together, he and Naruto managed to pull off a fire and wind combination jutsu that they had been certain would put an end to the saucy taunts and powerful assaults. But afterwards, as they had hunched over panting in near exhaustion, with hands braced on wobbling knees, Hinata had called out a warning that something was not right.

They had watched in horror as the woman's burnt carcass crawled out of the smoking ashes. The sight of the exposed sinew and hanging flesh, the smell of the singed hair, and the sound of the devilish laughter had nearly undone the jinchuriki. But when the disfigured face cracked wide open to expose a slimy new body slithering out of the gaping jaw and shaking off the loose hide like a snake shedding its skin, his vision started to narrow and he had felt the bile rising up his throat. The freshly emerged yellow-eyed shinobi had continued to chuckle in a low raspy tone, declaring that he hadn't had such a wonderful spar in many years. "But now I'm done playing games," he had hissed as his smile stretched unnaturally high up his pale cheeks. "And I mean to collect my prize."

They simply could not compete. The madman had redoubled his efforts, and the three genin were desperately fighting for their lives. Trying to camouflage himself in a pack of attacking clones and get close enough to land a hit, Naruto instead was hit square in the gut with a chakra blazing hand that left him staggering and dizzy. Seeing he was defenseless, Hinata had leapt to strike at a snake that was flying towards her best friend, only to be blinded when it swung its massive head through the air and spit acidic venom across her face. Her pain filled screams had distracted Sasuke, and in that instant the unhinged shinobi struck, sinking his fanged teeth deep into the Uchiha's neck. The last thing Naruto saw as he tried to crawl toward his teammates was a flash of green shoot across the destroyed forest and the famous blue glow of the kaiten's chakra vortex.

And now, apparently they were safe, a realization that sank in as Naruto saw their packs neatly laid against the rock wall, the edges of the Heaven scroll peeking out of one the pockets. He then focused his attention on his best friend, leaning over Hinata's prone form, relaxing at hearing her even, steady breathing as she slept. His fingers brushed her tangled hair away from her face, and sympathy shot through his chest at the angry red skin peeking out from under the bandages that covered her eyes. Even the gentle stroke of his fingertips caused her to unconsciously flinch in pain. The sudden urge to pick her up in his arms had Naruto clenching his fists with the effort to resist disturbing her rest. Anger boiled within him and his mind instinctively went to that place where the demonic hatred usually lurked, waiting for the opportunity to sneak past his mental defenses and fill his mind with thoughts of revenge and bloodlust.

But as he braced himself for the onslaught of malicious intent, he was suddenly much more disturbed by the empty silence that he found in it's usual place. Instead of the sharp stab of hatred that he usually had to block from his voluntary thoughts, a murky haze surrounded the edges of his inner consciousness, like the fog of a dream lost upon waking.

With suspicion growing, he tried to focus on the ever present prisoner of his seal, only to find...nothing. _What the fuck?_

Naruto throws his senses wide open, spilling awareness out around him in an attempt to feel anything. Outside he felt the familiar presence of Neji and the rest of Team Gai, it must have been they who had shown up to help fight that freak. Next he combs over Hinata's chakra in minute detail, checking for any sign of a disturbance or life threatening weakness. A measure of relief flowed through him when he was instantly greeted by her calming aura. He can't resist taking her hand and sending a small pulse of chakra into her body, smiling as her own flow involuntarily danced with it like two leaves twisting in the breeze. He didn't know why she was the only one who reacted to his chakra that way, but it was an undeniable sign of life and a connection that always made his chest warm.

The moment of peace was short lived as Naruto focused on his other teammate. Sasuke continued to restlessly toss about his bed roll, a thin sheen of sweat covering his forehead causing his bangs to stick to his grimacing face. Crawling over to his side he can feel a sickly contaminant coursing through the normally sharp chakra of his friend. Nervously, he reached out and pulled down the blanket that was tangled around Sasuke's body and hissed through his teeth at the angry red wound on the back of his shoulder. Neji's voice comes from behind him, and had he not been trailing the Hyuga's chakra, he might have jumped at the ninja's silent arrival.

"He's been like that since yesterday," Neji says softly, aware that Hinata was still sleeping. "After that attack, the shinobi retreated into the forest. I followed him with my eyes and never saw him rejoin a team. It appears he was working alone. We did not pursue, and decided to find shelter for the night." The calm voice of the Hyuga further helped Naruto organize his thoughts as they both scrutinized the odd wound. "It's as though there was a poison of some kind in the bite," Neji murmured.

"Like a venomous snake," Naruto frowned and leaned closer to study the raised edges of what appeared to be some kind of seal within the lesion. "Neji, what do you see with your Byakugan?"

Activating his bloodline with a small pulse of chakra, Neji observed the Uchiha's inflamed coils with narrowed eyes. "There is chakra embedded into the bite, it's definitely leaking into his network," he exhaled harshly through his nose as he straightened and crossed his arms. "His body is fighting against it, but with not much success."

The smell of food drifted into the cave from where TenTen and Lee were working on breakfast, and Naruto felt his stomach rumble with hunger. He sighed as he sat back on his heels and pulled the thin blanket back up over the shivering boy, worrying over the state of his team and the threat that still lurked freely through the forest.

"Close the tenketsu around the bite," he asked after a moment of contemplation. "Perhaps it will contain the poison or whatever it is, and allow his body to recover enough to move. We have to get out of here, and I'm not leaving anyone behind." Neji's silver gaze observed the way the rambunctious prankster he had grown up with could transform into a squad captain juggling priorities of his mission versus the importance of teammates' welfare, and his mouth tipped up on one side. _Perhaps becoming Hokage isn't just a childish dream?_

As they exited the cave and followed the aroma of breakfast, Naruto clapped his old friend on the back, a bit harder than necessary as he always did. "Thanks again for stepping in to help us out. We tried to hold that freak off for as long as we could but there was no way we were winning that battle." His blond hair spiked up even more crazily as he scratched his head in frustration. "Something about that guy's chakra felt kind of familiar. I just can't put my finger on it."

The boys joined the rest of Neji's team, but Naruto remained rather subdued, as he continued to toss over ideas in his head, his mind chasing a million different leads but not coming to any solid conclusions. He wished either of teammates were awake and able to offer advice. Again Naruto tried to find the Fox within himself, to ask if he remembered anything, sometimes he could trick an answer out of the Kyuubi if he pestered hard enough. But still, all there was in place of the usual storm of animosity was a dead connection. It was almost as if his tenant had been counter sealed inside of...

Suddenly Naruto froze mid bite, remembering the chakra charged hit to his gut that had been delivered by the long-necked lunatic. "No fucking way..."

Standing up abruptly he yanked his shirt up over his head and gaped down at the seal on his abdomen. "That son of a bitch!" he growled, but his epiphany was met with mixed reactions.

"Oh! I accept your youthful challenge!" Lee yelled and began ripping open the neck of his green leotard. TenTen was blushing hard and Neji was glaring at TenTen.

The jinchuriki took no notice as he glared down at the five pronged seal overlaying his eight trigrams, muttering all kinds of creative expletives as he brushed past Lee without noticing the bare arm hanging awkwardly out of the stretched neck hole as the bushy browed boy twisted around to free his chest in competitive enthusiasm.

"Lee, keep your clothes on, he's not trying to strip challenge you, he's trying to see what's wrong with himself," Neji sighed, attempting to ignore the irritating way TenTen's wide eyes followed the blond's tan back as he disappeared into the cave.

"Hey Neji," he tried not to perk up too quickly as her brown gaze turned back to him. "Do you have any tattoos?" He huffed at her cheeky grin, "Wouldn't you like to know." He smirked, and went to see what the unpredictable genin was doing now as he emerged from the cave and flung his backpack on the ground.

Naruto had immediately recognized the five pronged seal as one that Jiraiya had offered to place on him back when he had first lost control of the Kyuubi, to help prevent it from overwhelming him again. But the boy had declined, insisting that if the Yondaime had intentionally designed his seal to leak so he could learn to use the Kyuubi's chakra, then that is what he would do, proving that his hero's faith in a lone orphan was not wasted.

Fishing through his pouch for a brush and paint, Naruto ignored his little audience as his mind raced through the various arrays he would need to create in order to reverse the blocking seal. He paused to calculate his current chakra level, and worriedly gnawed at his lip when he assessed the borderline amount he had remaining. He could probably pull this off, but it would set him way back, which was not ideal out here in the notorious Forest of Death. And in all fairness he couldn't monopolize Team Gai forever, they had a great chance of making chunin and it wasn't fair to hold them back.

The counter array of the pesky five pronged seal was a more complicated creation than he had ever attempted alone without Ero-sennin or Dog to supervise. But removing it was important, not because of any selfish desire to retrieve his power, but because he needed to protect his teammates. And if he had any hope of addressing the evil looking seal on Sasuke's shoulder, he needed to help himself first. _I have to find the Fox_ , he affirmed to himself, and let his mind fall away.

Naruto lifted his head as he felt himself arrive within his mindscape. "Kyuubi?" The bars on the cage were still there, but the presence was gone. A thick, literally palpable, black fog swirled through the atmosphere on the other side of the cage. Everything was obscured to the point where Naruto just had to trust his own intuition that the Fox was even still there.

"Hey Furball! You ok in there?" Naruto dared to stick a hand through the bars and swing his arm through the fog. The kickback of the seal jolted him like an electrical burn as it singed his arm. From the place where he made contact with the miasma, streaks of sealing formulas shot out like green flashes of lightning.

Naruto rubbed his tingling arm as he glared up at the foreign barrier in his mind. "I don't know if you can hear me, I sure as hell can't see you," he yelled into the void. "But I want you to know I'm gonna fix this. I promise!" Silence greeted the jinchuriki, and he frowned. Usually the Fox would at least snort derisively at his overly optimistic claims of solving seemingly insurmountable problems.

"I-I could use your help, Fox." Naruto stammered, more unnerved than he wanted to admit about the silence of the chamber. He'd gotten kinda used to the idea of never being completely alone, and this emptiness was making him restless. "I'm a bit strapped right now, after that fight and all, and I've never done this before, and it would be really helpful if you could, y'know, chip in a bit." He waited, there was no answer. No nothing. Just blackness. "It won't stop me, I'll make it work either way. I never give up! But, it might be easier if we work together. I can push from the outside, if you push from the inside, and maybe it will strain the seal enough so that it'll break even if my array isn't perfect?"

There, was that a rumble? It wasn't loud, but the tremor that traveled up his legs definitely came from behind those bars. His mouth quirked up in a crooked smile, "I'll take that as a yes! Hang on Furball! I'll have you outta that mess in no time, dattebayo!"

Out in the real world his head snapped up and he set to work like a man possessed, which he guessed he was? Pacing around, scribbling large characters in the ground, to form the containment circle and settling into the center of his diagram, he carefully dipped his brush into the paint and took a deep breath. This was gonna be the tricky part. As he precisely applied the spiraling calligraphy across his chest and abdomen, he was vaguely aware of the presence of the others nearby, but kept his head down and focus sharp. Sweat rolled down his forehead as he craned his neck to make sure each kanji was correct.

That's as good as it'll ever be, he thought, finally glancing up to see Hinata had joined them at the edge of the ring, leaning on Neji's shoulder as he filled her in on the state of her team. Squinting painfully at the kanji scratched into the dirt, she lifted her red rimmed eyes to his blurry figure. "Are you sure about this Naruto-kun? You don't want to wait for Kakashi-sensei or Jiraiya-sama?"

Naruto flashed her a reassuring grin to alleviate the worry etched on her face and shook his head, "Nah, after what happened, I don't want to risk another run in with that bastard while only at half capacity. Besides," he tapped a finger to the large swirl across his abdomen. "Two heads are always better than one!"

Neji raised a suspicious eyebrow, not completely understanding the vague comment, but remembered that Naruto possessed a unique type of chakra that was difficult to control, yet immensely powerful when harnessed. Hinata had told him that much, and judging by the way she smiled and nodded at Naruto's little joke, she must know more about it than she had let on.

Adjusting his position within the sphere of formulas so that he was lined up perfectly, Naruto took a deep breath. "Alright Fox, it's now or never," he mumbled. Clapping his hands together he squeezed his eyes tightly shut and forced the pool of chakra he had accumulated since the battle into the freshly created seal, and grit his teeth as the kanji flashed around him with a blue glow. He struggled to maintain a smooth flow and maximize his efficiency, instantly feeling the lingering fatigue hit him anew.

Hinata bit her lip in worry, her feet starting to move forward with the instinct to rush to his aid, to add her chakra to his own. But Neji placed a firm hand on her shoulder, gesturing at the intricate pattern in the dirt that absolutely could not be disturbed. TenTen and Lee watched in wonder from the edge of the brightly glowing ring that had started to dance on the earth and slowly seep into Naruto's tense body like water swirling into an eddy.

"C'mon, c'mon, keep it going, don't..give..in," Naruto grit through his teeth, straining to maintain the steady current of chakra. His array must have been sloppier than he thought, the exertion of pressing on was greater than he imagined. If he failed now, he wouldn't be able to make a second attempt for at least another day. They didn't have that kind of time. He _had_ to make it work.

The array spun faster, the intensity of the glow blazing brighter as the jutsu strove to achieve its peak. Naruto growled with the intensity of his effort, alarm shooting through his chest as he realized that he was going to be cutting it dangerously close. His head throbbed as he forced his focus to sharpen, reaching deep within to wring every last drop of chakra from his body. His harsh voice echoed through the vast chamber of his mind, "Now Kyuubi!"

From inside the cavern red chakra flooded out of the bars with the force of burst dam, saturating the water with its crimson hue as it raced across the churning waves toward the blond boy standing on the brackish water with hands clasped in fierce concentration, a vulpine grin stretched across his face. His spiky hair danced in the chakra fueled wind as he took a deep breath, barreling his chest and pursing his lips.

Outside, the small group watched in awe as the seal suddenly blazed like fire and burst from the earth in a swirling vortex around the crouched genin. Naruto seemed frozen in the middle of the maelstrom, unaffected by the storm around him. All at once, red slitted eyes flew wide and his mouth opened in a fang toothed shout as he thrust the mass of demonic chakra from his body with a bellowing "HHAAA!" The array flashed and burst with a mighty gust of wind that knocked the whole group on their asses and sent Naruto crashing into a tree trunk.

The instant weight of the familiar presence within him settled into his gut, and Naruto sighed in relief as he felt his body flood with energy and his own natural healing ramp up in response. _Thanks, Furball_ , he chuckled inwardly. _Next time maybe we could team up before the fight, eh?_ The Kyuubi's snort was less harsh then usual, **I only helped you for my own reasons, it hardly serves my purpose to not have access to your thoughts** , he huffed as he turned his back on the bars to pretend disinterest. _Keep telling yourself that_ , the jinchuriki snickered as he returned his focus to the outside world again.

Blinking dazedly, he sat up, rubbing his head and causing leaves to fall out of the blond strands. Hissing a bit through his teeth at the fresh burn marks on his stomach, he crawled over to Hinata, gently helping her sit up and brushing dirt from her hair. "Sorry Hime, that was kinda tougher than I thought it would be."

Neji had pulled TenTen to her feet and she reached to pluck a twig from his hair. "Next time you should warn us that there is a blast perimeter," the Hyuga grumbled.

"Well at least it worked!" Naruto laughed as he retrieved his dusty pack from under a bush and pulled out another shirt.

"That was an amazingly youthful display of skill, Naruto!" Lee exclaimed after bouncing to his feet sans assistance. "If I didn't already have Neji as my eternal rival, I would challenge you to a lifelong competition of fervent contention!"

"I'm happy to share," Neji muttered under his breath, which had TenTen giggling as she pulled yet another piece of debris from his long hair.

"Oh no, he's all yours," Naruto chimed in, taking a scroll from his hip pouch and unsealing two hairbrushes. Tossing one to TenTen he answered her confused look with a laugh. "I've learned that when one has the tendency to create havoc wherever they go, it's common courtesy to pack a hairbrush for your Hyuga teammate. Practically a mission essential for me these days."

Hinata didn't bother to stifle her smile at Neji's deep blush as they both sat patiently and endured the forced attention of their teammates.

* * *

"About 150 meters out, on our two o'clock," Hinata stated as she leapt off another tree branch.

"And the scroll?" Naruto asked, neatly ricocheting off a trunk to her right as he followed her lead through the dense forest.

"Earth," she confirmed, only slightly squinting to zero in on the small cylinder which was poorly hidden in the backpack of one of the genin up ahead.

"Down!" Sasuke yelled, and the three drop to the forest floor just as a massive bird swooped down from the sky to make a grab for what it thought would be an easy meal. For the rest of the second stage of the chunin exam, the team had decided to let Hinata take point as they traveled through the harsh landscape, her Byakugan leading them toward potential targets. Sasuke flanked her left, intermittently scanning with his Sharingan for short range threats. Naruto was randomly throwing out shadow clones to address said obstacles, and so far the strategy was working, but he continued to worry that the recovering Uchiha was overusing his still somewhat new bloodline.

Yesterday had been tense for them as they had bid Team Gai goodbye and hunkered down in the cave to allow Sasuke one more night to regain his strength. The curse seal was still producing symptoms similar to a flu or poison, and the Uchiha had restlessly tossed and muttered all through the night. This morning Sasuke insisted that he would be fine, and the reality was they were on the clock, so they had set out after a solid breakfast. But the guy's chakra still felt off to Naruto in a way that made him apprehensive about more than just his health, and now he hoped this opportunity up ahead would provide them with the scroll they needed to complete stage two and get the hell outta here.

If there was one thing Kakashi was good at, it was drilling Team Seven on tactical attacks, and his genin were a well oiled machine of his own making. Hinata used hand signals to silently relay the exact positions of their targets, and Sasuke immediately gestured that he would lead the attack. This desire was nothing new from the Uchiha, however the malicious gleam of his dark eyes had his teammates more than a little concerned. Naruto waved his hands and conveyed that he wanted to do a stealth infiltration, the genin below were obviously weaker than themselves, and poorly guarding their prize. Besides, Sasuke was still not at full chakra capacity, neither was he for that matter, and Hime's eyes were healing but sore.

Sasuke's nostrils flared, he never liked taking orders, and the baka's passive approach was irritating his already agitated state. His nerves were buzzing with adrenaline, he couldn't hardly sit still long enough to see the hand signals, his whole body was thrumming with the need to _move_. A mantra, nearly audible, whispered in the back of his head, that he was strong enough to do this on his own. He didn't need them. Their advice was flawed. He was better than them. He could prove it. He _needed_ to prove it. He needed to _fight_.

Hinata frowned at her teammate's tense posture and uncharacteristically poor focus, every muscle in his body straining in his crouch, like an invisible leash was barely holding him back. Naruto frustratedly threw a small rock at the distracted Uchiha in an attempt to get his attention, when his Sharingan suddenly spun to life, and before Hinata could grab his arm he was gone, nothing more than a dark streak moving across the sunlit canopy of green leaves.

"Fuck! Hurry Hime!" Naruto's yell was unnecessary, and thankfully served as a warning to the three sitting ducks below, who had enough sense to move first and ask questions later. Sasuke collided with the earth in the midst of where they had been gathered for a meal, the intensity of his impact strong enough to crack bone had he hit his intended targets.

The small clearing erupted into a battle zone of jutsu. Not wanting to contribute to an already unfair fight, Hinata and Naruto hung back, gaping at the brutality Sasuke was unleashing upon the other genin. One was propelled into a tree with such force the whole trunk cracked as they fell, unmoving, into the shrubs. The last two seemed slightly more coordinated and were able to launch an earth jutsu meant to crush Sasuke between two massive hunks of earth, but just as the slabs encased the raging Uchiha, Naruto felt the change in the air, and the suspicious familiarity of the dark chakra slammed into him with the traumatizing recollection of where he had first encountered the evil curse seal.

"No," he whispered, and Hinata's heart rate spiked at the fear she saw in his blue eyes. "Not again, no, no, no..."

"Naruto-kun what—" before she could finish the question Sasuke burst from his earthen prison with a maniacal laugh that had the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. A fiery pattern danced across his skin, spreading over his face and arms, pouring from the malevolent seal on his neck and solidifying into an inky black network of blotches.

"Behold the power of the Uchiha!" He roared and launched himself at the two quaking genin with a speed only seasoned shinobi could hope to track. He blurred around his targets, slashing them haphazardly with the clear intent to torture and toy with his victims. The one screamed for mercy, but his cry was cut off as his throat was slashed.

Naruto was yelling so loud his voice was cracking. Hinata gasped at the blatant disregard for any kind of clemency from her teammate. Without pausing to see if he would repeat the cruel murder on the last genin, Naruto and Hinata took action. It took nearly six clones to restrain the insane Uchiha, who screamed in fury at being stopped from finishing off his last opponent. Not waiting for his thrashing to stop, Hinata rapidly hit as many of his major tenketsu as she dared until he went limp, and the black pattern retreated into the seal like a snake returning to its den.

As his Sharingan bled out of his eyes, they saw a second tomoe had appeared.

Naruto bent down to scoop up the unconscious Uchiha, slinging his body over his shoulder with a grunt. Hinata timidly turned to the bleeding genin, who had staggered over to the tree where his teammate is rousing from the hard collision. She felt obligated to apologize, regardless of this being the chunin exams, and knowing full well that Sasuke technically broke no rules. Her guilt over the mismatched slaughter caused by her team sits like a heavy ball in her stomach. Despite knowing there is nothing she can say to bring back their teammate, she opens her mouth to offer to help tend their wounds, but is cut off by the angry words of the defeated genin.

"Just leave us," the slashed shinobi hissed through clenched teeth as he assisted his only teammate to sit. The backpack containing the scroll had fallen to the ground during the mayhem, spilling its contents nearby. "Take it," a sandaled foot kicked the Earth scroll towards her. "I never want to see that thing again."

Hinata picks up the filthy prize, feeling no satisfaction with its possession. "C'mon, Hime," Naruto says lowly from behind her, adjusting Sasuke's weight to balance across his shoulders, bracing him by a limp arm and leg. "We need to get outta here before...well, anything else happens, and that's our ticket to escape." His eyes light briefly on the pair of genin huddled together, and a look of intense regret crosses his features before he leaps up into the trees.

Hinata takes a deep breath, and shakily exhales, clutching the scroll in her hand. She bows to the defeated shinobi, a perfectly executed expression of apology and respect conveyed without the use of words, and before she silently follows her boys, she leaves a thick roll of bandages and a jar of her own medicated ointment.

They set a grueling pace to the tower, the shock of the fight fueling their adrenaline laced sense of urgency to put the forest behind them. Naruto gave up making clones, redirecting his chakra into each leap to powerfully propel him and his teammate toward a place of safety. Hinata ignored her throbbing headache and burning eyes, pulsing her Byakugan at intervals to correct their course.

The roof of their sanctuary peeked over the top of the trees in the bright sunlight of midday, and Hinata inwardly sighed in relief at being able to deactivate her overused bloodline, when suddenly a scream pierced through the dense foliage far to their right and she swept her gaze in that direction. She raised her hand in the signal to halt and heard Naruto grunt as he skidded to a stop under his extra burden. Zeroing in on the position of the cries, her heart drops at the sight of the siblings from the Sand, who appeared to have ambushed another team that was also making its way back to the tower with their scrolls.

Gesturing to the hidden scene, Hinata explained in a nervous whisper what she saw into Naruto's ear, now immensely cautious about this newest threat. "Should we stay hidden or move out while they're distracted?" he asked, planting his feet more firmly on the ground to better distribute the weight of his teammate.

"They're focused on their fight, they haven't seen us," she summarized, but continued to stare with mild confusion. "Its odd, the three of them are just standing there, none of them are braced to fight. Temari is actually leaning on her massive fan like she's bored, and I can see both scrolls in Kankuro's puppet. But there are still two genin left facing them, and they look terrified...what are they doing?"

"As long as they're not looking our way I don't care, the last thing we need right now is another stare down with that—"

His words cut off as Hinata clapped her hands over her mouth, barely stifling a scream, and squeezing her eyes shut. Her knees gave out and she choked on her own breath, a look of such terror on her face that Naruto immediately felt his canines sharpen in reflex to the protective emotions that surged through his chest.

"Hime! What happened? What did you see?" He unceremoniously dumped Sasuke onto the ground and reached for her as she retched, then turned away to heave into the bushes.

"Hime? Are you ok? Are we in danger?" Naruto was bent next to her, hand rubbing up and down her shaking back, pausing only to send three clones out in a triangular perimeter around them. "Talk to me, Hime," he pulled her hair behind her ears, holding it gently away from her face as she spit and coughed. Hinata wiped her face on her sleeve, panting into the fabric to keep herself from hyperventilating.

"He...he was serious, about wanting b-blood," she gasped, and Naruto frowned deeper in confusion, ignoring her filthy clothes and pulling her into his chest. His alarm at seeing her so immensely petrified rivaling his fear of the thing that caused it.

"His s-sand...the gourd is full of sand and he c-can command it. He engulfed the other team, and ... and ..." she pushed her face into his orange jacket until the pressure caused colors to dance behind her fiercely closed eyes. "It ate them! And it soaked up the b-blood like... it was thirsty," her words muffled as she hoarsely whispered, "and the others, just stood there and watched, while he...he devoured them..."

Naruto's eyes were wide in horror, he had thought he had sensed it back in the town that day they had first run into the Sand siblings, the chakra of a demon, a bijuu, tainting the massive killing intent of the insane redhead. Daring to tentatively reach out with his senses and confirm his fears once and for all, he recoiled at the heavy bloodlust that poured from the direction of the slaughter. The impression of the rabid animal was still there, overlaid with a twisted sense of satisfaction from a predator successful with their hunt.

_Kyuubi_ , Naruto called out in his mind, _do you know this one? Is he one of us?_

A growl rumbled in his gut. **You are not the only one with a broken brother** , he felt the demon respond, before the connection was severed abruptly. _SHIT_

"That's it. We can't stay here. Hime, are you ok to move out?" Naruto whispered harshly into her ear.

She nodded into his chest before leaning back, breathing deeply and squaring her shoulders. Her cheeks were blotchy and her poor eyes were more red than silver as she raised a trembling gaze to his focused blue stare. "I-I just want to be done, let's go," she said with more bravery than she thought she felt at the moment. Naruto raised a hand to her cheek, brushing a thumb over a tear that trailed down her face and tried to offer a reassuring smile. "That's my girl, let's finish this."

The bedraggled trio stumbled through the entrance of the tower, and Hinata quickly puzzled out the riddle as Naruto braced a slowly rousing Sasuke on very unsteady feet. When the smoke cleared off the pair of opened scrolls they looked up to see the blessedly welcome smiling face of Iruka-sensei. The happy expression quickly fell as he surveyed the exhausted genin before him, and alarm filled his eyes at the sight of Sasuke.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto sagged with such relief that his grip on the Uchiha slipped, and they both sat down hard. "We need to see Dog, _now_."

* * *

The debrief with their Sensei had been tense, the genin struggling to keep the story coherent as they frantically overlapped each other trying to explain everything at once. When he finally grasped all the details, Kakashi had immediately set out to notify the Sandaime and Jiraiya, and make preparations to place a containment seal around Sasuke's curse mark. After seeing themselves up to the team dorm room where they would wait out the end of the second stage, Hinata had offered to go find some dinner, leaving the boys to place dibs on their beds.

Naruto and Sasuke now sat across the room from each other on their respective bunks, throwing a kunai back and forth between them as they processed everything that had happened the last few days.

"So there's a part of his chakra embedded into the seal?" Sasuke muttered, snatching the kunai out of the air near his ear.

"Yeah, it was the same with Mizuki. Asshole lost his bloody mind when he used that seal's power," Naruto adjusted his cross-legged position on the bunk before his foot fell asleep again.

Sasuke twirled the loop of the kunai around his ring finger, seemingly deep in thought as he let it loose to fly back across the room. "Perhaps I could find a way to take control of the power without losing myself to it, isn't that why you're always meditating?"

Naruto caught the projectile an inch in front of his nose, never batting an eye at the near hit. "Sort of," he hedged around the question, still nervous to reveal too much about the true source of the powerful chakra sealed within himself. "I'm not trying to force my control over the chakra as much as, kinda, make peace with it. It wasn't mine to begin with, and I hate the idea of using power that I've stolen. I want my strength to come from my own sweat and blood, not some enslaved entity or whatever." He bit his lip at the near slip up, and quickly flipped the weapon back with no warning.

Sasuke was still looking down at his feet but minutely shifted to the left without glancing up, allowing the blade to thunk into the wall by his head. He seemed not to have heard all of the introspective answer, his mouth slightly frowning in thought. "Does it ever seem as if... as if it can hear your thoughts?" the Uchiha said in a low and serious tone, reaching up to grasp the kunai sticking out of the panel. "Like a whisper in the back of your mind?" He yanked the blade free and examined it in his open palm.

"Sometimes," the jinchuriki responded with a dry laugh, and pulled out another kunai. "I've found that if I yell back louder and longer it gets annoyed and shuts up." Sasuke's lip twitched a bit at the typical Naruto-style handling of such a unique predicament, and he flipped the knife over in his hand to grip the handle.

The two stare at one another for a beat, and then on some unspoken signal simultaneously threw their weapons across the room, aimed squarely for the other's face. Each neatly caught the oncoming projectile with his opposite hand, and smirked.

"When I had that power, I don't even remember thinking anything was wrong," Sasuke confessed. Thwip, the two kunai again shaved past each other in the air. In perfect sync, they snatched the blades from their deadly accurate trajectories. "It just felt good...really good. I've never been that strong in my life."

"A power that makes you lose yourself is a risky thing," acknowledged Naruto. "But is that power worth the price of your mind? I want my 'other' chakra to be the last tool I reach for in a desperate fight, not something that manipulates me like a puppet."

Sasuke's dark eyes were difficult to read as he thought hard on his teammate's words. "I never want to be a pawn in another's game. I want to be the hand that moves my pieces towards my own goal. But," his mouth hardened into a thin line, "some goals are worthy of the sacrifice."

Naruto opened his mouth to immediately dispute this idea but stopped as he tried to see it from a new perspective. Was there a point at which he would be willing to give in to the Kyuubi for the sake of...of what? If that line did exist, where was it? Who was it?

Lost in a tangent of new thoughts he nearly missed the oncoming kunai from his teammate and barely blocked it with the blade still in his hand, sending it ricocheting back at Sasuke across the room. Ever the pride of his name, the Uchiha didn't even blink as he whipped out a third kunai to send the weapon back with a snicker at his teammate's easily distracted mind.

When Kakashi and Hinata entered the room with dinner, they found a volley of shuriken and kunai being batted back and forth between the two boys like a deadly game of tennis on steroids. The newcomers' wide eyes bounced back and forth following the sparking clashes of metal in the confined space. Finally Kakashi couldn't stand it anymore and reached up to lift his hitae-ate and unveil his Sharingan. Hinata relaxed her tense shoulders, thankful that for once he was going to be the mature one and stop the wild genin before they blew a hole in the dorm room wall. But her hopes were dashed as she heard his jubilant cry.

"I call winner!"


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Chapter 19

Four jonin sensei were all lined up against the metal railing, looking upon the gathered survivors of Training Ground 44 with mixed feelings of pride, trepidation, and in the case of one gray haired jonin, malicious joy.

He may be planning to put some money on these games... what? He was a shinobi, not a saint!

"Alright lets keep this low key," Asuma said, rolling his cigarette from one side of his mouth to the other. "Anything goes, overall bets will be placed first, matches can be bet upon as they are called. Kurenai keeps the books, if you don't pay up we get to put your name down for Ibiki's night shift at the cage."

"You make that sound like a bad thing," Anko popped up beside them, eager to see who had survived her favorite training ground. "I have made some great memories down there with the Involuntarily Contained."

"And you'd still be there if you hadn't been practicing your own personal T&I tactics on them," Kurenai shook her head as the purple haired kunoichi shrugged carelessly. "Hey, you gotta catch the eye of the top brass somehow. How do you think Ibiki found me?"

"I thought he'd found you to be too young for his taste?" Kakashi flipped his little book shut and pocketed it with a pat for assurance.

"Told you the same thing, huh Copy-Nin?" she sassed back as she gave him a slow wink.

"Do not fret Kakashi!" Gai grinned reassuringly at his eternal rival. "In my book, youthfulness is always advantageous!"

"Good god man, keep it down. You want the whole place staring at us?" Asuma flicked a look down at his father, the Hokage, who was delivering a wordy speech about the noble respectability of the exams, but was glancing up at the row of sensei, who all smiled with forced innocence down at their fearless leader.

The genin were all lined up down in the arena with varying degrees of focus on their faces. Some were more worse for the wear than others. Kakashi kept his posture relaxed as he surveyed his team. They had arrived with two days to spare, which had been sorely needed to recover from their unusually stressful second round, and to place a temporary containment seal on Sasuke's curse mark. He and Naruto had done it together, not daring to wait for the arrival of the Toad Sannin and risk another episode during the remainder of the prelims.

In all truth, the outwardly lazy sensei was insanely proud of his team. They had come together in a way that he only wished he had been able to do with his own genin squad. Every challenge he laid before them they crushed, adversity didn't deter them from their goals, and their work ethic would put some ANBU to shame. He only wished that Minato-sensei could see them all now...they were gonna kick some serious ass.

"5000 ryo says all of Team Seven advances today," he stated with pride, the casual way he leaned on the railing at odds with the confidence of his tone.

"You're on!" Kurenai whipped out a small booklet and scribbled the bet down. "Watch two of them face off against each other," she snickered as she ended the line with a flourish. Kakashi's single eye widened. He had gotten so caught up in his gloating he'd forgotten to consider that possibility.

"Haha, Dumbass," Anko snorted. She scanned the pipsqueaks below, who were shifting restlessly as they endured the rambling speech. "Your team looks a bit rough though, Kurenai," she mused as she pulled out a kunai and twirled it languidly around her finger. Just then Kiba looked up and caught her eye, fear crossing his expression as she gave him a wide grin and ran her tongue over her bottom lip. He instantly flushed to nearly the shade of his red cheek tattoos and snapped his gaze back onto the Hokage. He he, too easy, she laughed inwardly, then raised an eyebrow at the weary girl by his side. "Pinkie down there looks like she got a hair cut from a blind honey badger."

Kurenai bit her lip, her genin had barely made it back just this morning, telling her of a particularly nasty kunoichi who had tried to scalp Sakura, except the girl had beat her to it by chopping off her own pink locks in order to escape. As their sensei, she had been more than a little apprehensive about submitting her team for the chunin exams than she wanted to admit. But there was no shame in failing the exams as a rookie, and she was hoping the experience would help to motivate the trio. Shino was a strong candidate for chunin, but was so quiet that he tended to prefer working independently rather than try to intervene between his often fighting teammates. Kiba was all bark and no bite; quite skilled, but lacking in the dedication needed to really excel to his full potential. And speaking of full potential, Sakura had grown immensely since her academy graduation. But when it came down to the dirty work, she was still more than willing to allow the boys to pick up the slack on her behalf. The fact that they had made it this far was very encouraging in Kurenai's eyes. She just hoped that they didn't get too cocky and underestimate the competition.

"I also am confident that my youthful genin will make it through the preliminaries today!" Gai flipped a double thumbs up at the group's bookie. "If they don't, I will do 500 laps around the—"

"No! None of that crap!" Asuma cut him off before he could get going. "This is the real deal: cash, favors, and humiliation are the currency of the day. None of that training stuff. And you can't use the excuse that you don't have your wallet on you. That one was worn out back in the Third War. Seriously man, I think that's the real reason you always wear that damn leotard."

"Kinda makes him immune to humiliation dares as well," Anko mused, eyeing his revealing green outfit. Gai only laughed as he shrugged and slapped his toned thighs, "What can I say? No pockets."

"He knows that vest isn't just for show right?" Kakashi asked no one in particular.

The Sandaime seemed to be wrapping things up down on the floor, and Hayate had mercifully taken over before some of the genin fell asleep on their feet. Apparently even the speech had been enough to scare off one older genin with glasses, as he quickly volunteered to forfeit his place, making for an even twenty contestants that heavily favored the home team. As the Hokage made his way past the stoically faced line up of jonin who were pretending to be faithfully engrossed in the fates of their genin, he paused behind his son.

"1000 ryo says the Nara forfeits without even trying to land a hit," his gravelly voice had all their jaws dropping in shock.

"Hokage-sama?!" Kurenai gasped as he slipped her a small roll of bills.

"I'm old, but I'm not blind," he grumbled as he adjusted the hat on his head. "I can read your lips all the way from the arena floor." His beady eyes twinkled at the group and he moved on as though nothing were amiss.

"I can't believe he bet against my team," Asuma glared after the robed figure who regally took up position next to Ibiki. The group shot him sympathetic looks, but no one jumped to his defense. His team was solid, their coordination was practically genetically programmed at birth, but individually they were weak. Each had so completely assumed their assigned role within the infamous Ino-Shika-Cho combination, that none of them were well rounded enough to be viable threats when faced solo. Unless something drastic happened, the group wasn't going to be placing many bets on Team Ten's advancement.

The score board started scrolling through names and the group held their breath as they waited to see who would be the first to battle.

Hayate's hoarse voice echoed through the arena, "Hyuga Hinata vs. Haruno Sakura. All other genin leave the arena now!"

"Dun, dun, dunnnnnn..." Anko hummed into her hands.

Kurenai groaned, this was gonna be a no contest fight. But for Sakura's sake she wanted to defend her chances. Spinning to address the masked face that she was sure held a smug expression, she laid down her line. "I bet you 500 ryo that Sakura can hold Hinata in a genjutsu for at least five full minutes."

"Booorrriiing!" The T&I specialist had an evil gleam to her eye. "How about a peek under that mask Hatake?"

"Not all of us are so free with how we display our assets," Kakashi shot back without hesitation. "That peep show will cost you at least a years worth of dog walking and kibbles."

"Ugh, pass," she screwed up her face. "Too much fur. I prefer my summons to shed once and call it a month."

"Are you taking the bet or what?" Asuma pressed, the two genin kunoichi below were crouched and ready for the call to begin.

Kakashi narrowed an eye at the opposing jonin who was tapping her fingers along her crossed arms. "You still have any of those cigars?"

"You know it." She smirked knowing what he was getting at.

He nodded eagerly. "Make it two stogies and four minutes."

"Deal!"

" _Hajime_!"

The girls immediately lunged for each other, and despite her bedraggled appearance Sakura was attacking with an intense ferocity. Hinata parried every strike, batting her opponent's arms away as if they were no more than annoying flies. Naruto was nearly doubled over the hand rail cheering on his teammate, and Sasuke had to yank him back by the collar before he went head first down into the arena. Kiba seemed to be taking this as a personal challenge and was trying to out-holler the other boy.

With his sensitive ears Kakashi easily picked up the words exchanged by the battling genin.

"It would seem your teammates are very supportive of your efforts," the Hyuga remarked between clashes.

"Too bad you cannot say the same," Sakura bit back, sweeping her leg around in an attempt to unbalance her adversary before aiming a fist at her stomach.

Hinata jumped, twisting in the air and glancing up at the gathered shinobi to see her teammates silently staring down at the fight looking quite bored. She frowned, but didn't let up her focus. Landing neatly on her feet she pulled out a kunai to block the shuriken flying towards her, not wanting to use up her chakra in a flashy kaiten that would only further accentuate the gap in skill between them. Hinata held no harsh feelings toward Sakura, and wanted to allow her an opportunity to display her strength as much as possible before shutting her down. Plus, a faint shimmer in the air told her that the pink haired girl was working on something, and she wanted to have a full bank of chakra ready to go, just in case.

"Perhaps the boys found someone else of interest," Sakura giggled cutely up at the railing, and Hinata blinked in surprise at the way Sasuke and Naruto blushed generously at the flirtatious gesture. In her moment of distraction the pinkette whipped out two kunai attached to thin lines of ninja wire and hurled them with enough spin to wrap around Hinata several times.

As Sakura yanked the wires taut she began to charge up chakra in her gut, intending to fire it down the lines and blast Hinata unconscious. She grinned haughtily at the confused Hyuga. "The better woman appears to have won," she cheered with a wink up to the gallery. The boys went wild; Kiba was hooting like a lunatic, Shino's grin was big enough to be seen even from the arena floor, and Sasuke was smirking as he clapped loudly, bestowing a rare nod of approval on the preening kunoichi.

"Way to go Sakura-chan!" Naruto-kun's voice echoed louder than the rest as he cupped his hands around his mouth. "Hinata never had a chance against you!"

Sakura blushed and flashed a million watt smile at her adoring fans, shrugging as if it was all no big deal. Hinata stood still, staring at her opponent with a look of pity reflecting in her silver eyes. "Oh Sakura," she sighed. "I tried to tell you..."

Ignoring the soft warning Sakura prepared her _coup de grace_ and with a feminine yell of triumph struck a dramatic pose to deliver the crippling blast of chakra that would end the match.

But nothing happened. Sakura's perfect smile faltered, and now it was Hinata's turn to smirk. "When I told you that Sasuke would be impressed by your skills more than your clothes, this isn't exactly what I meant," the calm Hyuga stated as she pulsed her chakra through her tenketsu, instantly shooting the detailed genjutsu to hell. Sakura had a small amount of panic flash through her green eyes and again tried to blast chakra through the wire that encased Hinata's torso.

"Your first mistake," the Hyuga patiently narrated, "was forgetting that my Byakugan allows me to see and shut off the chakra networks in your arms even with just a glancing touch if it is accurately hit, thus preventing you from channeling anything to your hands." As she was speaking a bead of sweat rolled down Sakura's temple and she gulped, feeling as if the moisture of the air was thickening around them.

"Your second mistake was creating a genjutsu that _you_ would find intimidating," Hinata's voice was gentle but loud enough to carry, and the ring of spectators hung on her words as two small, delicate orbs of water condensed out of the heavy humidity that now hung around her. "But to me, the opinions of my peers are not my primary concern. My goal is to be strong for _myself_ , and my goals are focused on helping those around me, not acquiring their admiration."

The seemingly crystalline droplets of water slashed through the air, severing the loops of wire that bound Hinata, and her chakra surged as her hair danced around her and she stepped towards her crestfallen opponent.

"Your final mistake," the two droplets settled at the tips of Hinata's pointed fingers, which she aimed at Sakura's face with both arms extended like loaded weapons, "was not minding your details." The liquid bullet poised on her left finger shot across the arena, slicing off a strand of pink hair before puncturing a perfect hole in the wall next to Sakura's head. Closing the gap between them Hinata aimed the last water bullet point blank between the lowered green eyes. "Naruto-kun always calls me _Hime_."

"Damn right I do!" The boy in question unashamedly yelled from above.

"Winner by forfeit: Hyuga Hinata!" Hayate hollered when it was clear Sakura was not offering any more challenge.

Before the defeated genin could flee to sulk with her team, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She turned to see sympathetic pale eyes and Hinata's warm smile. "It was a good strategy that capitalized on your strongest skill. But when you judge your success by the affection others bestow upon you, you're placing the power to determine your value outside of yourself." Sakura shut down the voice in her head which screamed that this girl was just trying to rub her loss in her face, and focused on the kind words. "If you want him to see you, _really see you_ , then show him your strength, your determination, and that you are a woman worthy of his _respect_ , not his adoration." A slight pink tinged the winning kunoichi's cheeks as she leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "that comes later."

Hinata squeezed her shoulder and trotted away to where Naruto was waiting with open arms. Sakura stared after her midnight hair as it swirled through the air when Naruto swung her around in a jubilant hug that had Sasuke rubbing his forehead in annoyance. The voice in Sakura's head fell silent, as she saw something much more appealing than a drooling boyfriend: the shared joy of true friends supporting each other.

"Well between that abysmal performance and that horrifying hair cut, I don't think I'll have much trouble outshining you for Sasuke-kun's attention," Ino's taunting voice called out as Sakura turned to walk past her rival and rejoin her team. The pinkette paused next to the gloating blond who twirled her own sleek tresses around her finger, and huffed at her once friend and current rival.

"Give it a rest Pig, it was my neck or my hair. No amount of vanity is worth my life." Sakura lifted her chin and brushed past the blinking girl to soak up the encouragement she knew her boys were waiting to give her, and settle in to cheer them on in return.

Ino rolled her eyes at Sakura's sudden show of self righteousness, but was shocked when she heard Choji hum thoughtfully in between bites of whatever snack he was inhaling now. "Huh, makes sense."

"Hn, definitely logical," Shikamaru agreed with his friend. Neither noticed the way their female teammate's mouth hung open in surprise, _do they not think of me that way?_

Back over with the jonin, Kakashi was happily parting ways with his 500 ryo, the genjutsu may have barely crossed the four minute mark, but the moral and literal victory had clearly gone to Hinata. Even though they were only two small droplets, the fact that she had been able to pull water out of thin air was a testament to her advanced elemental control.

"Shit Kurenai, I think you should pay the Hyuga tuition for that education," Anko's impressed grin lit up her face. "I'd love to take her down to T&I , with that badass demeanor I could make her into one hell of a—"

"No touch!" Kakashi cut her off. "I'm the only one who gets to corrupt my genin."

The scoreboard loudly started clicking and all eyes zeroed in to see who would battle next.

Hayate hacked into his hand a few times before he yelled, "Yamanaka Ino and Hyuga Neji, to the arena!"

 _Clang_ , Asuma's hitae-ate hit the railing as his head fell in defeat. "Fuck me."

"Is that a bet?" Kurenai teased, suddenly much happier to see another sensei suffer the same frustration of watching their genin get owned. His dark head popped up, "it can be," he waggled his eyebrows at her which caused a blush to spread over her face at the hopeful twinkle in his eyes.

Before she could put a witty answer together, Gai was chiming in. "I shall make a bet! If Neji does indeed defeat your student, I will—"

"Host a joint training session!" Asuma swung around to interrupt the animated sensei before he could finish his proposal. "Ino is always saying we need to socialize more," Asuma slapped Gai on the back as his thick eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's more a rewarding prize than breaking a sweat together?"

"That's what 'he' said," Anko added, producing a stick of dango from places unknown.

"And what if Ino wins?" Kakashi lazily asked before the work out junkie could thoroughly contemplate the hidden motive behind Asuma's suggestion and decline.

Asuma snorted, "You mean if my _Ino_ defeats the goddamned Hyuga prodigy? When pigs fly at the chunin exams I will agree to—"

"Wear the leotard." Kurenai smirked and batted her eyes at the horrified look on the Sarutobi's face. "All day, no hiding, you have to leave the house." She crossed her arms and stepped toward him, her posture conveying her seriousness, but her eyes giving away her mirth.

Gai stood between them watching the banter and scratched his chin, "I suppose I have an extra one that would fit y—"

Asuma placed a flat palm on Gai's face and pushed him backwards as he also stepped forward, eyes glued to Kurenai's red gaze and twisted smile. "I'll need someone to make sure I follow through. How about you go out with me, y'know, to enforce the bet? My treat."

Kurenai tucked a wild strand of dark hair behind her ear and leaned her weight on one hip, bringing her face inches away from his. "I think I could handle that," she murmured.

"That's what 'she' said," Anko cackled at her own joke and went to bite into her last dango, only to be greeted by an empty stick. "Dammit Hatake, if you wanted some all you had to do was ask!"

"Didn't want to interrupt your super original comedy. Seriously are you twelve?" The Copy Nin adjusted his mask over his face as he chewed. Kurenai just bit her lip and blushed harder than ever as she scribbled the bet down and Asuma leaned in closer than necessary to place his initials on the line.

" _Hajime_!"

Neji and Ino glared at each other, fingers twitching and chakra building. He knew about her clan's fighting style, and was prepared to dodge all jutsu and attack her before she could start any hand signs.

Ino's mind had been running a mile a minute processing Sakura's words and the unspoken challenge they held. How dare she insinuate that I am shallow! I am the heir of the Yamanaka! I'll show them all that I'm serious!

Neji was prepared to launch into the _kaiten_ when he saw her reach for a kunai. What he was not prepared for, was for Ino to reach up and grasp a hold of her shining platinum ponytail and slice it off with the dramatic flair of a true diva. Dark eyebrows lifted high as his silver eyes pulsed with chakra, trying to ignore his shock and discern any underlying strategy.

"You think I'm too pretty to be a threat Hyuga?" She yelled boldly across the arena, waving the shorn hair like a battle banner.

"Nnnooo..." Neji did not appreciate mind games, or screeching women.

"This hair means nothing!" She threw the whole mass at him, raining it down between them on the dirt floor of the arena. Neji barely bit back a grimace at the wild gleam in her eyes.

"Brace yourself Hyuga! Today is the day you take me seriously!" Ino stepped forward and clapped her hands together, bright blue eyes blazing with determination.

"I'm always serious," Neji muttered, more than a little annoyed at the theatrics, and bent his knees to leap sideways into an attack formation when suddenly he couldn't move. "What the..."

Looking down, his Byakugan revealed the chakra that she had threaded through the myriad of strands that now littered the arena floor, and a small tendril of fear laced its way through his normally unshakable confidence as she placed the kunai between her teeth.

"It's time for a hair cut pretty boy," Ino chuckled maliciously as she proudly raised her hands up in the hand seal for her clan technique.

" _Shintenshin no jutsu_!"

Suddenly Neji's wide eyes and stiff posture relaxed and he fluidly sauntered over to where Ino's limp body had fallen, kunai tumbling to the floor. Hinata gasped into her hands as she watched her possessed clansman daintily bend over to pluck the blade from the dirt and twirl it around his finger. "She wouldn't..."

Naruto was nearly purple from trying not to flat out guffaw at the languidly sensual way his friend tossed his glossy dark waist length tresses over his shoulder. "He's never gonna live this down," he snorted harshly as Ino-in-Neji pouted cutely and held out the long, thick mane and raised the blade to it.

"No man should have hair this gorgeous," his lilting voice sang out, and the kunai slashed downwards.

The audience was on edge, eyes glued to the center of the arena so when both genin suddenly screamed bloody murder most of the shinobi, much to their shame, did as well.

Just before the deed was done Neji unleashed an unholy amount of chakra from every single tenketsu of his formidable network in a devastating wall of power that threw Ino's now awake and terrified person hurdling through the air and slammed her into the wall so hard it cracked in a webbed pattern around her stunned body. As she once again crumpled to the ground, this time truly unconscious, Neji angrily glared at his defeated opponent.

"I am not _pretty_. And no one touches my hair."

"Except TenTen!" A voice chirped from up in the gallery.

"Except TenTen." He nodded and stalked past the proctor just as he called out, "Winner by knock out: Hyuga Neji!"

"Spicy!" Anko cheered, fanning herself with her hand. "That girl sure knows how to put on a show."

"That was...surprising," Asuma scratched his bearded chin as the medics revived Ino and helped her walk to the medic tent. "Well, Gai, guess that means I have to let you train my genin, don't go too hard on them now, they may shit themselves." He tried to not grin too broadly considering the way his student had just been wrecked.

"Hang on there, Sarutobi," Kakashi leaned an elbow on the railing and drilled the jonin with his single eye. "I do believe you lost both bets."

The jaunty smile froze around his smoking cigarette. "Come again?"

"The perv is right!" Anko snatched the booklet from Kurenai and flipped it open to the page with his scrawled initials. "I do believe your exact words were 'When pigs fly at the chunin exams'. And that Ino-Pig flat out sailed across the arena!" Anko was doubled over in laughter as realization dawned in Asuma's eyes and his cigarette fell from his gaping mouth. Gai tossed him an excited double thumbs up, "Do not feel ashamed! The spectacular freedom and comfort of the amazing green fabric will bring out all your most invigorating feelings of youthfulness, my friend!"

"I'm counting on it," Kurenai winked as she reached into Asuma's vest pocket and pulled out a fresh cigarette and placed it in between his pouting lips. Gently she shut his mouth and with a flick of the wrist had his lighter ready. The normally gruff jonin had to fight back his own blush as he inhaled a shaky breath.

Once again the scoreboard of destiny started shuffling through names, capturing the shinobi's attention.

"Nara Shikamaru vs. Gaara of the Sand!"

As Asuma proceeded to bemoan whatever god seemed to be out to ridicule his team today, Kakashi remained silent. He cast his gaze across the balcony and locked eyes with Naruto, who nodded in silent understanding. The blond leaned back as Shikamaru shuffled past to grumpily head down the stairs, and bumped his shoulder firmly. The Nara paused and glanced in surprise at Naruto's serious face.

"Be careful Shika," his voice was low and terse. "That guy is not a normal genin, and will not hesitate to kill his opponent even in a match like this."

Shikamaru studied his old friend, "You're not just trying to scare me are you?" Blue eyes narrowed in response, "You're a smart guy Shika, you'll see what I mean soon enough. I just don't want anyone dying today." Shikamaru frowned and nodded, contemplating the warning as he moved on towards the arena floor.

Arriving at his starting position, Shikamaru suspiciously analyzed the red haired boy with the ironic tattoo on his face. The gourd on his back rattled, and his expression seemed almost lifeless if it were not for the crazy gleam in his eyes. Now that he was closer, it was impossible to ignore the faint stench of old blood that surrounded them, reminding the Nara of the place where elderly deer that had died were cleaned, carved, and tanned, back on his family's property. He was no sensor, that was Ino's thing, but the undeniable weight of a sinister force which hung around this genin was concerning to say the least. Naruto had never lied to him before, and his instincts were telling him that the prankster was not playing him for a fool.

Gaara's eye twitched with the effort to hold back until the call to begin was given. He had been cooped up in that tower for two damn days, and Mother had not stopped screaming for the blood of the genin around him the entire time. This simple shinobi before him was an insignificant offering in comparison to the tantalizing signatures of the blond and black haired boys from the Leaf that now watched from the balcony above. But Baki had repeatedly drilled the Sand siblings on the importance of following the invasion timeline, baiting the jinchuriki with promises of unlimited opportunities to prove his worth, to cement his existence by spilling the blood of those around him, if he just played along until then.

At least Mother would feast today.

" _Hajime_!"

Sand and shadows raced towards each other. Shikamaru was instantly down on one knee, fiercely concentrating to shoot arm after arm of shadows outwards to arrest the numerous tentacles of sand that lashed out with lethal intent. He was no slouch in terms of chakra capacity, and as clan heir, even the lazy Nara had been pushed to train in his clan style as often as his father could hunt him down. Yet he couldn't keep up this taxing barricade of shadows forever. The endless attacks were overlapping each other, leaving no room to counter, and even the genius was at a loss for ideas of how to create an opening and gain the upper hand. His opponent wasn't even slightly winded, if anything he seemed giddy, and logic dictated that there was only one option left.

"I forfeit!" Shikamaru leapt to the proctor's side, releasing all his shadows and panting harshly with one eye closed, as the fury over his lost victim caused the Sand shinobi to scream in frustration.

"Winner by forfeit: Gaara of the—"

"You shall not deny my existence!" Sand erupted from the enraged genin, wrapping up Shikamaru's legs and lifting him from the ground as it engulfed his thrashing body. Hayate was yelling and the jonin were instantly over the railing and sprinting to restrain the maniacally grinning Gaara. Walls of sand arose in a barrier around the crazed genin to create a sphere of protection, and he calmly extended his arm, palm open, towards the terrified shadow user.

" _Sabaku kyū_ "

The swarming mass of chakra fueled earth condensed with a sickening crunch. Ino was screaming and Choji was barely holding onto her as he was ready to pass out himself.

A pop, and a puff of smoke echoed into the horrified silence of the arena floor, and Gaara's face twisted in rage when no blood seeped into his Mother's sand as the voice within his head screamed with dismay at being tricked out of a sacrifice.

"Hn, troublesome," all eyes snapped up to the balcony where Shikamaru stood next to Naruto, who rubbed a finger under his nose as he smugly looked down at the frothing Sand shinobi below. "Thanks for the _kawarimi_ Naruto," Shikamaru said as he leaned back from the railing to head over to his hyperventilating teammates. "Everyone was so focused on the sand they didn't notice your transformed clone swap with me after the forfeit."

"No worries man, I didn't trust him to have any self restraint," the blond met glares with his jinchuriki counterpart, and he was again shocked at the hatred and bloodlust that swirled in those green eyes. _What did they do to you?_

"Baki," the voice of the Sandaime rang out through the arena. "I suggest you remove your pupil immediately, unless you want your whole team disqualified."

The Sand jonin instantly appeared next to Gaara and gripped his shoulder in a bold display of discipline that few from Suna dared to attempt with the insane son of the Kazekage, and with a curt bow they both disappeared in a _shunshin_.

As the shaken jonin filed back up to their place in the gallery, Asuma ran a hand over his beard in exhaustion. "This sensei stuff is gonna be the death of me," he sighed. "I thought Shika was a goner." Kurenai patted him on the shoulder, pitying his frazzled nerves as well as their wallets when she realized that the Sandaime had also won his bet, unless she could convince him that shadow strikes counted?

"That was a hell of a save by your genin there Kakashi," Anko said as they settled back against the railings. "I always thought he was kind of a goofball, but that was some pretty sharp anticipation."

"Hn," Kakashi agreed as he adjusted his hitae-ate over his Sharingan once more. "He has always been keen on protecting his friends. It's part of why he'll make a great Hokage someday." It was said with his characteristic nonchalance, but the others could see he was very serious.

"Your faith in your pupil is truly inspiring Kakashi!" Gai fought back tears at the moving display of his rival's conviction.

Kakashi's eye creased shut as he smiled under his mask. "Believe it!"

* * *

"It's definitely his," Jiraiya sighed as he laid the two photographs back onto the Hokage's desk. "He's been busy. This one is more advanced than the one he left on Anko." He tapped a finger on the second photograph, which showed Sasuke's curse mark after Kakashi and Naruto had reinforced it with the containment seal. "That is the same array I would have used, but it's not unbreakable. Based on what I can see from this picture, Orochimaru has found a way to embed more than just his chakra into that thing, what exactly, is beyond me. But I would keep a close eye on the Uchiha, obviously the Snake wants him."

Hiruzen steepled his fingers and puffed on his pipe, considering the implications of this twist in Sasuke's fate. The second round had just wrapped up, and so far the chunin exams had been even more eventful than he anticipated. Plus the Kazekage was due to arrive in three weeks, bringing more pressure and stress for the active shinobi guarding the village.

"Do you think he would dare to make an attempt at kidnapping the boy?" the Hokage wondered aloud. Jiraiya frowned in thought. "He would have to be extremely confident in his success. Orochimaru was never one to take foolish risks." He reached up to scratch at his white hair. "Has anything else suspicious happened, any spies found sticking their noses where they don't belong?"

"Now that you mention it," taking off the Hokage hat, Hiruzen leaned back in his leather chair, "Ibiki has his eye on one of our genin who has made seven attempts at the chunin exam, only to voluntarily drop out before the fights every time. I have my ANBU watching him as we speak. And Naruto is convinced that the younger son of the Kazekage is a jinchuriki. Based on the prelims, he is an unstable one at that."

The spymaster couldn't help the smile that pulled at his mouth. "According to my sources he is right," he said proudly. "That kid is ahead of my own information network. How did my godson fare in the exams?"

Hiruzen grinned as well, "Aced them. Honestly he is practically a chunin already, these exams are just going to prove it in a way that is undeniable to the rest of Konoha." His eyes roamed over to the portrait of the Yondaime that hung on the wall. "He is truly a testament to his parentage."

"And his own hard work. I ran into Kakashi on my way in here, he thinks the boy is ready for the Rasengan, and wants me to do the honors." Jiraiya followed Hiruzen's gaze to the framed face of his previous apprentice, and determination settled over his expression. "I want to tell him Sensei. It's time he knows."

Hiruzen raised a surprised eyebrow at his former student. "We agreed to wait until after he made chunin, what made you change your mind?"

The Sannin patted the large scroll propped against his chair and a mischievous gleam lit his eyes. "I want him to sign the contract. Gamabunta just had a son I think would make a perfect summon for the boy, plus he's been bugging me to meet Minato's brat for years. Says he wants to 'welcome him as he did his father'."

The Hokage laughed at the memory of the wild ride that marked the Namikaze's acceptance by the Toads, and made a mental note to have his crystal ball ready to go on the day Naruto met the Chief Toad. "Fair enough, so far he has exceeded all our expectations, it would be remiss for us to continue to hold him back due to our own preconceived timeline and notions of his abilities." Standing to stretch his tired back, Hiruzen gathered the pieces of Sasuke's shinobi file back together, and pulled his pipe from his mouth.

"In the mean time I will work with Shikaku to go over strategies for defense should Orochimaru decide to make an appearance." He tapped out the ashes of his tobacco and added in a quiet voice laced with regret, "I let him slip by once and many have suffered for my poor choice. I will not allow him to escape me again."

"Regret is the bedfellow of any shinobi who lives as long as we have, Sensei," Jiraiya consoled as he too stood and shouldered his scroll. "We can only do our best, and teach those who follow us not to repeat our mistakes."

Hiruzen smiled as he reached up to pat his former student on the shoulder, "You should stay in the village more often, Jiraiya. I could use your optimism on the council."

"No way," he snorted in response as he held the door open. "Besides, I need to do lots of research if I'm ever going to finish my next novel!"

"In that case take all the time you need!"

* * *

Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke sat at the counter of Ichiraku, inhaling bite after bite of the warm ramen with the vigor of growing teenagers denied decent sustenance for the last week.

"Sweet Kami," Naruto gurgled around his chopsticks. "That cafeteria crap has nothing on this Old Man! Hit me with another miso!"

"Already done, Naruto," Ayame laughed as she set the freshly steaming bowl down in front of the elated blond. "How about you two? Ready for another round?"

"Yes please!" "Hn." The brown haired girl nodded and returned to the kitchen to help her father prepare more food for the winning team.

"Dog should be the one buying us dinner, seeing as we won his bet for him." Naruto griped, but couldn't quite manage to sound annoyed, the joy of having his whole team in the finals still making him grin like a fool.

After the vicious attack by Gaara, the rest of the prelims seemed rather uneventful. The other two Sand siblings had beaten the two remaining teammates of the Konoha genin who had forfeited without a fight.

Shino had defeated Choji by gradually leeching, almost literally, his chakra away until the Akamichi ran out of snacks to sustain his calorically taxing jutsu.

Lee and Kiba's fight had been very entertaining, but even with Akamaru's help, two against one wasn't enough to overwhelm the ridiculously fast member of Team Gai. The bushy browed sensei and student had celebrated Lee's victory with a disturbingly happy embrace that had somehow conjured up a blinding rainbow sunset out of nowhere. The shinobi present were still trying to figure out how the hell that happened.

Next, two teammates from Sound fought each other, but no one could clearly see what happened as they were all still recovering their sight, and Hayate just called the match when he heard the fighting stop, declaring the last man standing the winner.

Then Sasuke had faced the third Sound shinobi, beating him easily with his new two-tomoed Sharingan, while also succeeding in keeping the whispers of the curse mark mostly at bay.

That had left Naruto and TenTen, who had enjoyed their battle like only two people who love a good fight could. Naruto played target dummy as the weapons mistress unleashed an armory's worth of sharp pointy projectiles at his legion of clones. By the time she had exhausted her storage scrolls (which he had created just for her per Neji's request) and launched into a formidable display of taijutsu such as would be expected from any of Gai's students, the gathered spectators were thoroughly impressed. In the end, though she was defeated by the tireless and equally skillful attacks of the blond, no one could deny that she was well on her way to becoming a fearsome kunoichi.

With the finalists decided and the next match ups announced, a month long break for recuperation and training was declared, and the second round of the chunin exams was officially in the books.

Thinking about their new opponents for the finals, Naruto turned to his best friend, "Hime, are you nervous about facing off against Neji? You kinda revealed your new water jutsu against Sakura, he'll probably have a defense prepared for it by the end of the month."

"Yes and no," she answered, tapping her chopsticks against her lips in thought. "He will be a formidable opponent, but that's what I need in order to challenge myself and display my full skill set. Hokage-sama said you don't necessarily have to win to make chunin, just fight well. And Uncle has already promised to obtain scrolls on water based jutsu for me to expand my repertoire. What about you Sasuke?"

"I will win," he answered with certainty. The statement was followed by a rub of his sore neck, but Sasuke kept his face expressionless and dropped his hand back to his chopsticks before either of his teammates noticed. "The honor of the Uchiha name rests on my shoulders, I will do nothing but succeed."

"You gotta make it past bushy brows first," Naruto pointed out. "That guy has been waiting to take you on ever since he laid his big eyes on you that first day of the exams. What's your plan to defeat the Littler Green Beast?"

"Like I'm going to tell you," Sasuke smirked at the sly attempt of his potential opponent to sneak some info out of him. Naruto only laughed as he shrugged. "Kakashi-sensei has promised to teach me a new jutsu that he says favors my natural element. That's all you're getting out of me, baka."

"What about you Naruto-kun? If Kakashi-sensei is going to be helping Sasuke, and I'll be training at the compound, are you going to be ok?" Hinata knew her teammate had a great work ethic, but the chunin exams were no time to be winging it.

"Don't worry about me Hime," Naruto shot her a big smile, made slightly less inspiring than usual by the noodles that hung from the corner of his mouth. "I sensed Ero-sennin enter the village a little while ago. I bet he's here to do some research or something. I'll make him help me out under threat of putting a public notice in the paper about a 'suspicious white haired old man creeping around the bathhouses.' He caught on to all my seals around the fences, I have to hit him in the public humiliation department now." The boy laughed evilly and somewhere across the village a loud sneeze was heard outside the local onsen, drawing the attention of all the women inside.

The team finished their victory meal and Sasuke said goodnight as Naruto and Hinata set off together into the warm night toward the Hyuga compound. The moonlight reflected off the top of her bowed head as her hands nervously worked the zipper of her hoodie. "Naruto-kun," she looked up into his deep blue eyes as he glanced down from the twinkling stars that always captured his imagination, frowning at the worry creasing her face. "Please be careful against Gaara. Even the Kyuubi warned you in his own way, calling him 'broken'. That can't be a good sign. There is no shame in following Shikamaru and forfeiting in order to live to see another day. I..." a blush faint enough to not be noticed in the dim light rose to her cheeks. "...I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

Naruto started to laugh off her concern as he always did, except he noticed the way her iridescent eyes seemed to tremble with emotion, and paused to shyly scratch his cheek.

"Ah, Hime, I know I kinda tend to be a bit reckless when I fight, but these are the chunin exams, so I definitely am going to be taking every opponent seriously. I have to survive if I'm ever gonna be Hokage right?" He grinned widely hoping his words would offer some peace of mind, he hated it when she worried because of him. The wind kicked up, flapping his scarf over his shoulder, but he ignored it as he reached out to tuck a strand of her soft midnight hair behind her ear, feeling the inexplicable need to brush his fingertips across her cheek and wipe the frown from her face.

The gesture appeared to work as she closed her eyes and smiled softly at his comforting touch. They turned a corner and the gate of the compound loomed before them, and Naruto rubbed the back of his neck as he pondered why it was that she seemed to always glow in the moonlight like that, _she's kinda weird, but I really like that about her._

His musing was rudely interrupted as his screaming godfather streaked past them, with a hoard of towel wrapped women calling for his disembowelment following behind. The two genin were blinking in shock at the trail of blood left in the wake of the Sannin's bleeding nose when something else caught Hinata's eye, "Neji?"

The other Hyuga was pressed into the far side of a tree branch near the compound gate, Byakugan activated and focused on the guards below. Hinata quickly activated her own bloodline as well and Naruto suppressed his chakra on instinct, before they moved soundlessly to join him. Neji acknowledged their arrival with a nod and they fell into silent observation.

"She said she means it this time," slurred one of the guards to his replacement, who cringed at the man's already inebriated state. "All I have to do is this last favor, and the woman will be mine. I can finally have her, my daughter, and my future son with me. We'll be a real family."

"Yeah, yeah, Tadao. We know. You're always saying that." The fresh guard shoved the staggering Hyuga into the compound. "Next time you want to drink to your mystery woman do it after the end of your shift. Get out of here before I report you to Hizashi-san again."

The drunk man flipped off the annoyed night guard before disappearing in the direction of the Branch barracks. Neji jerked his chin in the direction of the far wall and in unison the three _shunshined_ away.

"Are you going to report him to Hizashi?" Naruto asked as soon as Neji gave the all clear. He knew that Neji had been shadowing his father more often, as he was the obvious choice to be the next Branch leader and right hand to the future Clan Head, whoever that may be. Disciplining guards who were intoxicated on duty would fall under their realm of jurisdiction.

"Yes, but his words concern me more than his sobriety." Hinata tilted her head in thought at his words, when suddenly her eyes popped open in shock. "Nii-san, is he the one you saw leaving Ane-sama's quarters when you came home late from that mission?"

Neji's solemn nod had Naruto emitting a low whistle, "Well, well, looks like the Honorable Bitch found herself a baby daddy after all. I wonder what kind of bullshit she fed him? Lemme guess, some cash, maybe a few bottles of his favorite sake?" He snapped his fingers in epiphany, "or she gave him a ton of blow—"

Neji smacked him upside his blond head before he could finish the perverted thought in front of his cousin... _goddammit now she's blushing_ , the Hyuga groaned inwardly.

"Shut up!" he hissed out loud, "Right now I don't care what they did, what I care about is the 'favor' she asked of him." Neji crossed his arms as Naruto rubbed his head sheepishly. "Based on some of the things I heard him spill before he left, I think there is a good chance he's going to attempt something violent."

Hinata sucked air through her teeth, assuming that man was indeed the paramour of the wife of the Clan Head, any plans, violent or not, held a huge potential for upheaval. "You're telling Ojisan, right?"

"Ah, he can decide whether to pursue it or not." Neji sighed heavily, it was late, and they all were tired from the prelims earlier today, the mental stress of Hyuga drama just made the exhaustion of the day even more substantial.

"I'll go with you," Hinata turned to her teammate and gave him a quick hug, "goodnight Naruto-kun, congratulations again on making it to the finals."

"Back at ya Hime! You too Neji!" He squeezed his Hime till she squeaked then slapped the other Hyuga on the back with his usual amount of forcefulness, causing the older boy to roll his eyes but smile nonetheless. "Say an extra prayer of thanks to Kami when you comb your hair tonight, eh?" Naruto's laughter could be heard echoing down the street as he leapt away from the annoyed Neji's swing.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**Chapter 20**

The light of the lantern in the corner of the old office flickered in the late evening shadows, as the three Hyuga exchanged pivotal information behind tightly closed doors.

"Does anyone else know about this?" Hizashi asked his son.

"Naruto was with us." Neji answered, he resisted the urge to shift his feet as his father nodded.

"I'm sure he knows to keep quiet. You did right by telling me, I will look into the matter." He placed a firm hand on the only barely shorter boy, who at a distance could easily be mistaken as himself. Pride filled his eyes and his voice was warm as he gazed at both his children. "For now, focus on your training. The fact that both of you have made it into the finals is exceptional, all your hard work has paid off." He chuckled at the way his son fought back the obvious feelings of joy any child felt at his parent's praise, while Hinata openly beamed. "Your success was well deserved. Now go rest. I'm sure you're both exhausted." Neji bowed and left but Hinata lingered and Hizashi smiled, easily offering her the embrace he knew she was after. "Well done, daughter," he murmured into the crown of her head. "Thank you Otousan!" She whispered back, gracing him with a smile that hurt his heart for its similarity to Hitomi's, and as he watched her trot off after her brother he wondered again for the thousandth time what her future held.

While Neji's path was laid out before him since the day of his birth, Hinata's fate seemed to be laid step by step as she moved forward in her goals to become a strong kunoichi. Hizashi's only fear was the unlikely reality of her fervent desire to remove the caged bird seal from the Hyuga, something he thought a bit ambitious personally. But then again, her continued connection with the ever unpredictable and utterly talented Naruto had the potential to rewrite the destiny of the Hyuga should they each continue to excel in the manner they had thus far.

Hizashi snickered to himself, watching the two of them dance back and forth across the line between friendship and romance was immensely entertaining to the father. Especially when he recalled the way a certain Yondaime had agonized for months over his crush on a red-headed kunoichi before fate had thrown up her hands in frustration and seemingly organized an event solely to force the two into each other’s arms, literally. Hizashi wondered if the boy would show up his unacknowledged father in the romance department as well as in fuuinjutsu, for Naruto was undeniably headed for bigger and greater things to anyone who cared to notice.

These thoughts kept his mind entertained as he pulled out the guard schedule and looked up Tadao's name. His brow furrowed under its bandages when he saw that the Hyuga had been personally requested to accompany Ane-sama's father, Satoshi-dono on the day of the chunin finals. With two Hyuga genin competing, many of the council and even a few dignitaries that Hiashi had personally invited himself, would be attending the event. Hizashi knew his brother wanted to gloat over the prowess and strength of the clan, and smirked inwardly as he pictured the look on the Clan leader's face when he realized that it was his own discarded heir that he had been bragging about. He must make sure to check on Hinata and ensure her confidence wasn't wavering at the idea of being on stage before the man who had branded her so violently after sending her mother to her death.

But Hiashi would be unable to pitch much of a fit, between wanting to save face in front of his elite friends and his newest paramour, who Hizashi noted was also on the guest list, and the small legion of Hyuga guards that would be accompanying the highly ranked group, every word that passed the Clan Head's lips would be under the scrutiny of many influential people.

Sighing in resignation, Hizashi shut the door of his office behind him, and headed to see if his father was still awake. What the children didn't know was that he and the former Clan Head had been keeping a close eye on Hizashi for several years. Covering up his affairs, covering up Ane's, playing buffer between him and the Branch family, and especially keeping him away from Hinata. The two had come to the conclusion that as long as Hiashi was allowed to focus on his shmoozing and bargaining, he was an ideal leader. It was within the clan itself that he felt his ego was threatened and thus the true degree of his brutality was exposed.

Hizashi knocked on the rich wooden panel that framed the door of his father's quarters, and bowed deeply when the old Branch servant, who had tended to his family ever since the twins were just children playing ninja with wooden kunai, slid the door open.

"Hizashi-sama, please come in. Hiroto-sama is actually out in the garden for his evening walk, is he expecting you?"

"No Juro-san," he answered as he glanced across the courtyard to where the path that led to the garden began. "But I can find him myself. Go rest your feet, the day is well and done." The servant bowed and smiled thankfully as he turned to shuffle away to his futon.

The stars were out now, and a wave of nostalgia washed over the son as he smelled the aroma of his father's favorite tobacco wafting into the early summer air.

"Hizashi," the old man's gravelly voice greeted his footsteps on the dirt, "What brings you out tonight? Have the genin returned from their exams?"

"Ah, Otousama, and as expected they both have passed. They will be facing each other in the finals."

Hiroto glanced at his son and raised an eyebrow at the way his mouth flattened with his words. "And thus the father frets." His low chuckle rumbled. "I'm sure they will fight with honor, and their bond is such that it will withstand such a defeat." Hizashi shifted a bit at his father's accurate assessment of his fears, the only outward display of his anxiousness.

"Proud as I am to tell you of my children's success, that is not the main reason for my visit." Hizashi proceeded to detail the events witnessed by Neji and the others, keeping his tone low and taking care it did not carry on the wind.

"I see, so you think perhaps Ane has convinced Tadao to make an attempt on Hiashi's life, and Satoshi's request for him as guard will offer him the opportunity?" Hiroto puffed thoughtfully on his pipe. "The man would have to be a complete fool to think he could pull off such a stunt, not to mention in the midst of nearly half the shinobi of Konoha."

Hizashi hummed his agreement. "Tadao is not the brightest, but he is also unreliably loose lipped, and that is what Ane fears more than anything. She needs her secrets kept safe if she is to assure the succession of her children. Goading Tadao into a foolhardy assassination that will surely end in his immediate demise would be very advantageous."

"Then why not simply kill him silently," Hiroto scowled, "his shameful liberation with drink offers multiple opportunities to ensure his silence."

Hizashi sighed, his father was right, but his gut told him there was more to this than just a paranoid lover cutting off an illicit loose end. "Hiashi has placed Hana-san on the guest list for the finals."

Hiroto coughed as he inhaled sharply on his pipe. "Baka! He intends to parade her in front of the whole village while his wife lies in confinement with his supposed son?" The look on Hizashi's face was answer enough, and he tried not to snicker as his honorable father swore heartily.

"It's shames me more than I can bear to have raised such a fool," Hiroto grabbed the cane that leaned against the bench and thumped it angrily on the ground. "This changes everything, her bruised ego knows no bounds and Satoshi will do anything to ensure her peace of mind."

"Exactly," Hizashi crossed his arms and braced himself for the reaction his next statement might bring. "I believe Satoshi is the real mastermind behind this plot, and that he intends to ensure its success while pinning the blame on an inebriated and lovesick fool." He locked his steely silver eyes onto his father's angry face, his conviction openly displayed, "And I intend to let him."

Hiroto stared at his son. There was no animosity in Hizashi's eyes. No hatred creasing his features. No arrogant piety pitched in his low tone. The weight of his words obviously hung heavily from his shoulders, which appeared slightly tensed as if awaiting retaliation. He was not the type of man to carry the blackness of vengeance in his heart, and his sense of justice was well respected amongst the Hyuga. This was not a cold dish of revenge he wanted to serve his brother, it was a logical decision that had been agonizingly weighed in the balance of beneficence and recompense.

"Explain."

Taking a deep breath, Hizashi dove in. "We could remove them all. In the eyes of the council, I will have enough evidence to convict Ane, her father, and Tadao of plotting to assassinate the Clan Head. We may not be able to prove that Hanabi isn't the biological heir, but if we could find a way to remove the child from the influence of Ane and ensure her education is overseen by ourselves, there will yet be hope for the clan. Hiashi's affairs will no longer be of relevance because Ane will be gone, and we can keep him focused on his international bargains, where he is most effective. Hanabi will be secured as successor as long as she activates her Byakugan, which Hinata has proven is possible. We can put all this behind us and work toward a better future for our children."

Hiroto hummed in thought, he admired his son's well rounded plan, but felt too much of it hinged on unpredictable factors. "The child is a firecracker, and has shown on more than one occasion to have her mother's quick temper and violent methods of resolving her problems." Personally, the elder Hyuga was not impressed by the four-year-old. Some traits were not malleable. "Do not forget, you and your brother were both raised to be leaders, both given the best the Hyuga had to offer from day one, and yet see what different men you have become? Some people were never meant to be leaders, Hizashi. Trust an old man who has tried to manipulate fate, some destinies cannot be changed."

The two fell into silence. Hizashi closed his eyes and reached into his heart, searching for an answer, for the voice of reason, for the whisper of Kami revealing her plans to him in all their glory.

Nothing but the tap of the fountain and the song of the crickets greeted him.

"Unless new information comes to light, I do not see another way," Hizashi's voice was steel, his eyes bright quicksilver that gleamed with his resolve. "I know I am not without sins blighting my soul, and therefore a poor judge upon my peers, and Kami has exacted her debt from me. I also understand my duty is to protect my Clan Head, even at the cost of my life if need be. Yet what is even more important than his birthright, is my responsibility to protect the Hyuga, my children, our future. And I cannot let them suffer anymore. Ane and Satoshi's choices have, and will continue to hurt the clan. They have made their beds, let them lie in it."

The former leader of the Hyuga watched his son walk away with back straight and shoulders square, leaving him alone in the garden with only the wind to hear the whisper of his words. "If only I could go back and change your fate, my son. How much suffering I could have spared us all. Kami forgive my prideful meddling."

His joints groaned as he stood with his cane, slowly making his way back to his quarters. Passing through the courtyard, the familiar silhouette of the midwife could be seen leaving the Honorable Wife's wing of the Main house. She saw him standing under the dim glow of the moon, and changed her course to address him.

"Her labor threatens everyday," the old woman whispered as she approached. "The babe is strong, but much too early. Should she continue to progress there will be nothing I can do to stop it's birth. Her body has been through too much, her womb doesn't want to hold a child til term."

Hiroto tipped his chin in acknowledgment, but as the midwife turned to leave he called out to her. "Obaasan, there is something I must ask of you."

The woman huffed, "I ran out of favors for you years ago Hiroto, and I still lose sleep over them."

His hand clenched on his cane at her casual address of the former clan head, but did not admonish her. He had always wondered how old this woman actually was. He had called her Grandma even back on the night of his sons' birth. The night he had gambled with destiny...and lost.

"There may come a reckoning yet," he responded, with as much humility as a long respected and rarely questioned former leader could muster. Her silver brow lifted, deepening the numerous creases on her sealed forehead. "On that day, Obaasan, can I count on you?"

A gap toothed smile etched across her features. "As always," she rasped. "But justice does not always sever our tangled webs cleanly, there may be some snares that must be ripped away."

"Then so be it. This time, I will abide by fate."

Her bow was lower than ever before, and he felt the shame she meant to bring upon him, for the fact that it had taken a lifetime to earn back her respect. They parted ways, the onerous burden of their long shared confidence nearly ready to slide off their hunched shoulders as time slowly revealed her secrets.

* * *

"Come on gaki! Is that all you got?" Water sprayed through the air as Naruto dodged another shower of hair needle senbon that shot out from Jiraiya's white mane.

"Shut...up...Ero-sennin..." Naruto wheezed and twisted through the waves of water, kunai clinking off as many of the needles as he could.

"If you can talk, you can block!"

"Gah!" The sunlight reflected off the water as he pushed his screaming muscles to move faster, blue eyes laser focused to discern the gleam of the weapons amongst the sparkle of the flying droplets. Several sunk into the tanned flesh of his leg as he guarded his face, and the stinging pain amped up his adrenaline. With one last vicious slice of the blade he was able to send a few of the needles sailing back to their originator, before his body gave out and he collapsed into the cool water.

The instant tranquility of the river engulfed him and he let his body relax as it floated with the gentle pull of the current. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, his lungs started to burn, but the feeling of being lost in the peaceful underwater world kept his aching limbs stayed.

Suddenly a long knobby tongue broke his calm world and he was wrapped up in its tight grasp and yanked roughly up into the blinding daylight. Shaking his head to free the water from his spiky yellow hair he gasped and panted as the large toad dumped him onto the grass.

"Thanks," he grinned up at Jiraiya's summon, who merely blinked one bulging eye at a time before dispelling back to its home. The bright sun was blocked from view by the silhouette of the summoner himself as he bent over the exhausted teenager.

"Not so unstoppable without chakra, eh Naruto?" The Sannin laughed at the half hearted scowl on the whiskered face.

"I don't see the point to this, I have chakra for a reason, why do you insist on torturing me?" Naruto huffed as he rolled over onto his face, sighing as the warm rays hit his bare back.

"Just because you have a ridiculous pool of chakra doesn't mean you should be so dependent on it." Jiraiya lectured as he headed over to sit in the nearby shade. "The balance of body and spirit is crucial for a shinobi. All the chakra in the world locked up in a weak body is like handing an illiterate man a brush and ink and asking him to tell you a story. The value of his tools are lost on the ignorant creature. But when you teach the man to read, when you train your body to be the perfect vessel, _then_ you will be writing masterpieces!"

"Or he could just draw me a picture," mumbled Naruto. And instinctively rolled over once more to dodge the shuriken that thudded onto the soft earth.

"Smartass." But Jiraiya was smiling, leave it to this kid to take even a simple analogy and find another interpretation. He had a real talent for discovering creative solutions. "You'll thank me if you face that green piece of spandex in the finals. That kid can flat out move."

Naruto groaned, too tired to debate, as he pushed himself up and crawled over to the scroll beside his folded clothes and unsealed four onigiri that Hinata had dropped off that morning. Scarfing one and grabbing a second he passed the bento to his godfather and the two sat in the dappled shade of the trees, back to back, enjoying a hard earned meal.

"You're doing well, gaki. Don't get a big head or anything, but if you keep this up, you'll be able to keep pace with that jinchuriki's sand. Buying time with your speed and using your chakra for attack and defense is going to be a key strategy. Shitting clones is fine, but you'll just be burning up chakra with no real plan. Fast thinking on the fly is a great skill, one of those things you either have or you don't, but every plan needs a basic strategy."

Naruto hummed around his mouthful, mentally making a note to drop by and thank Hime for the meal after this was over, she'd really outdone herself this time. "The _kage bunshin_ is my most versatile attack and defense though. Most of my wind jutsu are supportive, and my taijutsu requires me to get within close range. Speed will make everything better, but it's not a trump card in and of itself."

A smirk spread across the Sannin's face as his eyes fell to the large scroll propped up against the trunk of the tree. "Sounds like you need a new jutsu."

Naruto instantly perked up at that. "Ne, ne, Ero-sennin, you finally gonna teach me some sick new jutsu? I knew you weren't all pervy thoughts and old man smell!"

"Baka!" A thump on the head left the teenager laughing and rubbing his neck as Jiraiya reached for the summoning contract while grumbling about ungrateful assholes with no taste in literature and even less respect.

The massive scroll thumped flat on the grass and Naruto's eyes widened into blue saucers as it rolled open to reveal the bloodstained signatures of the esteemed summoners of the Toads of Mt. Myoboku. His godfather's confident scrawl was there, and next to it...

Reverently his fingers reached out to trace the neat kanji, "The Yondaime," Naruto breathed in awe, gently placing his hand over the faded red fingerprints, smiling at the perfect match of size. "Ero-sennin, does this mean..."

"Ah, I'm offering to make you the next Summoner of the Toads."

His breath whooshed out of his chest. For a rare moment, words escaped him as elation filled his mind. To be the successor of the Fourth Hokage, his hero, the man who had trusted him with the fate of the village, it was an esteemed honor that raised a lump in his throat.

"There's a catch," Jiraiya's voice was low and serious, bringing the teenager's gaze to focus with rapt attention on his stern face. "The contract with the Toads is sealed in blood, sworn on the name of the summoner, anything less than the absolute truth will void the agreement."

The teenager blinked in confusion. "But, I would never try to trick the Toads, I'm honored to be able to sign my...name..." Understanding crossed his features and suddenly breathing became difficult. "My name. I need to know my _real_ name?" When his godfather nodded and a twinkle lit his eye, Naruto felt his stomach erupt into summersaults.

He watched, dazed, as the white-haired man reached into his pouch and pulled out a small photograph, the size of his hand, and extended it out to Naruto's shaking fingers. There were two people, with arms around each other, the man with wildly spiky blond hair and blue eyes was gently resting his hand on the round belly of a blindingly redheaded woman with a smile that nearly split her face. His clothes were clearly those of a jonin and the white coat trimmed in red flames fanned out around them in a breeze now frozen in time. There was no mistaking that visage.

"Namikaze Minato..." he whispered, brushing his arm roughly over his moist eyes before the sight of the happy couple in the photo blurred.

"And Uzumaki Kushina," added Jiraiya, swallowing hard at his own rising emotion. "She was a refugee from Uzushiogakure who came here as a child and became the inheritor of the Kyuubi from Senju-Uzumaki Mito herself. She and Minato fell in love at a young age and were very happy together. For Minato, becoming the Hokage and a father was the fulfillment of his dreams. Every choice he made reflected his desire to protect and strengthen not only you, but Konoha herself. You are a testament to their love and their legacy, Naruto." The mentor grasped the shoulder of his beloved disciple's son, the weight of his secret being released opening a flood of sentiment from his jaded soul. "They would be so proud of you," he choked a bit and swallowed hard, Naruto's hauntingly familiar blue eyes swam with tears and he launched himself into his godfather's arms, unashamedly sniffling into his broad shoulder.

"It's like I'm so happy and so sad at the same time," he stuttered. After a minute he pulled away, a new level of determination cemented into his tear stained expression. "I will never betray the sacrifice they made for me!" Naruto exclaimed, clenching a fist over his heart. "They have entrusted me with the care of the village and all the people in it, I will not let them down!"

Jiraiya beamed with a level of pride beyond what he thought possible as he watched the boy who was a spitting image of his father bite his thumb with gusto and sign his name with a flourish, ending with a slam of his open palm onto the sacred parchment. _NAMIKAZE NARUTO_.

Gazing down at the drying blood, Naruto couldn't help but feel like a missing piece of himself had just slid into place. There was an alignment in his soul that felt right. He lifted his eyes to the Hokage mountain, where the stoic faces of the leaders past and present watched over the village below. _I see you, Otousan! Make sure you see me!_

Blood still dripped from the fist he punched into the air as he grinned at the face of his hero, his father, up on the mountainside. Not hesitating a moment longer, his hands flew through the oft observed sequence of hand signs, chakra built within him like a bonfire doused in oil, his emotions raged like a typhoon's wind, and his voice rang out with the confidence of a shinobi born and bred, " _Kuchiyose no jutsu!_ "

The earth shook and the creatures fled as the massive body of Gamabunta, Chief of the Toads of Mt. Myoboku landed in front of the gaping teenager.

"So! You are Minato's brat!" the enormous amphibian bellowed as he fixed his single eye onto the skinny teenager in orange swim trunks. "Huh, it's about time you signed the contract. Let's see if you can outdo your old man, eh?"

Naruto's eyes bugged out of his head as the large warty tongue snatched him off the grass and slammed him onto the moist back of the gigantic amphibian. "Hold on!" Jiraya yelled from below, hands cupped around his smirking mouth. "If you let go he won't think you're strong enough to be worthy of the contract!"

"What the FUUUUUUUUUCCCKKKK?"

On the other side of the village, the Sandaime rocked in his office chair with laughter, wiping tears from his eyes as his crystal ball danced with the images of a screaming blond boy desperately clinging to the back of a malicious toad.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

CHAPTER 21

Satoshi descended the stairs, scanning the crowd as he slowly shuffled towards his seat in the mass of spectators. His keen eye spotted multiple ANBU interspersed throughout the throngs of people. _They must suspect something_ , he mused just as one ANBU nearly collided with him on their ascent up the staircase of the stands. The shinobi grasped his arm, as though to help steady the older Hyuga, and as their heads tilted together he heard a nearly imperceptible whisper.

"We still have an accord?" The man's voice was smooth and high, Satoshi's brain clicked with recognition, _Kabuto-san, he must have gotten a new disguise_.

"Hai," the older man murmured, gripping the ANBU's shoulder in the pretense of needing to stabilize his stance, "the Hyuga will be much too preoccupied to participate in any retaliation. Your 'distraction' is still expected?" A reassuring squeeze of the arm was his only answer and the ANBU slipped away with enough grace to almost make the run-in questionable. Satisfaction flowed through Satoshi's mind as he allowed his eyes to settle upon the straight back of his Clan Head, who was already deep in discussion with some dignitary from the Land of Fire that had been seated near him. _Almost. Not much longer now, Ane_.

Behind him he heard the rushed stomping of Tadao-san, sprinting down the stairs to catch up from where he had been distracted by his gaping at the massive amount of spectators. "Satoshi-sama, are you alright? I'm so sorry, I should have been closer—"

"I'm fine, Tadao-san, just stay close, and don't forget your purpose," Satoshi's words were curt, he really disdained this poor excuse for a Hyuga. Clansmen like him were the reason why breeding outside of the clan should be banned. Just because his mother had been foolish enough to leave herself vulnerable to the machinations of outsiders should not mean that her unwanted spawn should be given positions of pity within the clan. While the father rarely questioned the whims of his daughter, her choice of sire challenged his sensibility greatly.

As the council elder settled himself into his seat, he once more observed the mass of humanity gathered together. The Hyuga were placed together in a group, along with their invited guests and guards. Satoshi was not worried about this, the animosity towards the easily angered Clan Head had made it simple to ensure that most of the guards present would be those that would most likely jump at the chance to see him suffer. The only catch would be Hizashi. Satoshi tilted his head down, pretending to look at the arena floor while observing the Branch Head surreptitiously out of the corner of his eye. The man stood on alert, but shamefully shifting from one foot to the next as his gaze floated to the doorway where the genin that would be competing today would emerge. _Must be worried about his son_.

The 'Brothers of the Inheritance', as many older Hyuga had come to call them as they grew, were formidable fighters, and while Hiashi had not seen true combat for many years, Hizashi regularly trained and sparred with the Hyuga Branch shinobi. Today was by no means a guaranteed victory, but with any luck, Fate would have mercy on his ambitions.

* * *

A hand landed solidly on his shoulder and his fingers were instantly buzzing in chakra as he turned to address the owner of the firm grip.

"Easy son! You have been nearly dancing in place and your eyes are more interested in those closed doors than the events around us. Can you not see the signs?" His father's gravelly voice carried a lighthearted tone to disguise the meaning behind his words.

Hizashi's nostrils flare and he smothers a huff of annoyance. "I am not ashamed to admit it, Otousama, I know not how you bore the strain of watching your children fight each other for all these years. But I assure you that despite the weight on my chest I have not forgotten my duties."

Hiroto grunts in a way that could almost be mistaken for a chuckle, "You have nothing to fear, they will be the pride of the Clan no matter the outcome, I am sure." His gray eyes slid over to where Satoshi was settling into his place with Tadao blatantly glancing at Hiashi while restlessly adjusting his weapon pouch. "Has anything changed?" he asked, shifting his cane from one hand to the other as he pretended to totter unsteadily to his place.

"No, all my intel points to a continuation of the plan." Hizashi stooped a bit as he uttered the words in a low tone, making it appear that he was seeing his father to a safely seated position.

"Hn," Hiroto's gaze settled on Hiashi, his mouth flattened with displeasure as he observed the way his other son told a dramatically embellished version of the role he played in the fostering of the genin who were about to compete. _Arrogant, he should be proud of the accomplishments of the Hyuga as a whole, and not portraying them as his own success._

They always said 'pride goeth before the fall'. And if Hiroto went down with them, then so be it.

* * *

"Breathe, Hime," Naruto's husky voice was low as he bent over her hands, patiently looping the bandages around her palms.

"I _am_ breathing," she ground out through clenched teeth, so focused on her outwardly calm facade she hardly even moved her lips. The slight tremble of her fingers beneath his touch, however, gave her true nervousness away.

"You're practically hyperventilating," he corrected, "just _breathe_." Her eyes settled on his face, the way his lips puckered in slight concentration as he navigated the white fabric around the tricky knuckle of her thumb, expertly applying the perfect amount of tension, just like he always did. Her nostrils flared with her tightly controlled exhalation as she willed her heart to slow down, and Naruto hummed in satisfaction.

"How do you do that?" She whispered as she watched him easily work. "How do you not get nervous?"

He snorted, and tied off the last strip of cloth, but continued to hold her hands tightly in his own, raising his gaze to meet hers. "I am nervous, but I quit caring about what other people thought a long time ago. All that matters to me," chakra flowed through his touch and she instantly responded with her own, "is doing my best, and staying true to myself and my precious people."

The jitteriness in her spirit eased as he coaxed his chakra to wrap around her hands like a metaphorical hug of encouragement shared between just the two of them. His grin split his face and crinkled his eyes shut, "Losing a fight today is not the end of my dreams. I never give up..."

"...it's my nindo." she finished, closing her eyes and nodding in resolution. Her chakra gave one last pulse up his arm and her hand slipped free, her body moving to begin the series of increasingly extreme stretches that enhanced her natural flexibility. The familiarity of the routine only served to steady her even more. "Thank you Naruto-kun," she said as he helped pull her arm around to deepen the twist of her torso.

"No worries Hime!" He jerked his chin in the direction of her cousin, who was trying not to roll his eyes as Lee pleaded with him for a pre-match spar to help them loosen up. "Besides, it's just Neji, yeah? Pretend it's only us out on the training ground and forget about those stuffy Hyuga."

Now it was Hinata's turn to snort, but there was a gleam to her silver eyes. "Easier said than done. You're not the only one trying to live up to their father's legacy and make him proud."

Her words had the intended effect as Naruto's blue eyes danced and a silly smile curved the whisker marks on his pinkening cheeks. After learning about his parents he had nearly assaulted her that afternoon while she was practicing alone with the dummies at their secluded training grounds. Between his laughter and sniffling and tears and trembling hands and rambling words she hadn't understood what the heck he had been talking about until he thrust the photograph into her face and instant recognition and realization had dawned. All efforts at exercise had been forgotten and the two had spent an emotional evening eating ramen on top of The Yondaime's carved head, ruminating on each of their lost parents, and what life would have been like if death were not so greedy. It had been one of the prettiest sunsets Hinata had ever seen, and Naruto had gone to bed that night not knowing what was the highest point of his day; learning of his parents, beating his dad's record in Toad-back-riding, or the absolute perfection of his Hime's company.

The appearance of Genma, senbon bouncing between his lips as he eyed the anxious chunin hopefuls, had a thick silence settling over the small group as he called them to line up for introductions.

The tension was shattered as a loud voice hollered from the middle of the line, "Oi! Where's the Teme?!"

* * *

Hiruzen settled into his place of honor high over the arena, and serenely turned to address the man already seated to his left.

"Kazekage-dono, welcome. I trust your delayed arrival was not due to any lack of hospitality on our part?"

"No, no, Hokage-dono," the barest flick of a glance from the mostly covered face of his esteemed guest was the borderline dismissive response from the leader of the Village Hidden in the Sand as he leaned forward to view the doors that opened as Genma walked out onto the dirt arena. Hiruzen frowned mildly at the slightly rude lack of response. _He must be quite eager to see his children_ , he thought as the Kazekage practically ignored him.

The Professor continued to study his companion as Genma went through the preamble and reviewed the rules of the fights. Rasa's body language was difficult to interpret with his person cloaked in the lengths of robes much like himself. And his facial expressions were nearly impossible to read, being obscured by the white veil covering everything but his eyes. He wondered at the new addition to his kage attire, having never known the man to be reticent of revealing his face before.

"From the Land of Wind, native to Sunagakure: Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara." Polite applause rippled through the mostly local crowd, Hiruzen again tried to engage the father.

"It is an honor to watch one's own child compete, is it not?" the Hokage prompted. "To be the pride of their country as well as their father is a great motivation for a genin." Rasa seemed to suddenly remember himself and forcibly relaxed into his own chair, his voice taking on a husky quality.

"Indeed, Hokage-dono. They are well aware of the expectations of their home and father. Loyalty can be such a fickle thing, one must take care that it is properly engrained. Wouldn't you agree?" The genin from the Sound were announced but the two never broke eye contact, Hiruzen swore he heard a hint of a challenge hidden underneath the coy tone.

"One cannot compel honest dedication any more than man can force a tree to grow. But with proper nourishment a tree will offer its shade and protection to its caretaker," Hiruzen answered curtly. His polite facade was quickly slipping today. Perhaps it was the heat, perhaps it was the tension, perhaps Rasa was just an arrogant asshole. _Based on what Naruto told me about his children, it's probably the latter_.

The Kazekage did not respond, merely refocused his attention back on the arena as Hyuga Neji was announced and the cheers picked up for the local competitor. Hiruzen saw a smirk in the gleam of his companion's eyes, and sighed internally at the prospect of being forced to entertain this sour banter when he would rather focus on the fights, and watching for any signs of Orochimaru. A small twinge of warning rang in the back of his head as he contemplated the irony of the Sand Leader's opinion in relation to the predicament he now faced regarding his own lost student. There was no way the two could be in league with one another, was there? _They are our allies, what could Orochimaru offer that would outweigh a peace agreement with one of the five_ _major Hidden Villages?_

"Hyuga Hinata!" The name prompted Hiruzen to abruptly swing his gaze back over to the nearby section of the crowd where the respected Hyuga Clan had been placed, and could not hold back a wry grin at the expression on Hiashi's face. The sight of his estranged daughter proudly trotting out to take her place beside the venerated prodigy and son of his twin, seemed to accomplish the rare event of completely shocking the leader of one of the most conniving families in the Hidden Leaf. Hiashi barely caught himself gaping in time to shut his mouth before the dignitary to his right leaned in to ask a question. The young woman on his left was nearly gawking from behind her elaborate _hi-o-gi._

"Uzumaki Naruto!" The sound of the crowd's cheers dying away was more profound than the riotous applause. Rumbling murmurs spread through the stands as the infamous boy with a sunny head of blond hair and bright red scarf strode confidently to take his place. Hiruzen's heart seized at the mockingly bright fake smile that spread across the whiskered cheeks as Naruto held his chin high and boldly panned his sharp blue gaze across the masses. His expression was congenial, but to those close enough to see his eyes, there was no mistaking the formidable determination that seemed to eagerly invite the challenge of proving that he was more than the cursed boy turned national weapon. When the teenager locked onto his Jiji, Hiruzen allowed his features to openly display his pride and faith in the unpredictable pariah for all to see, going so far as to give him an encouraging nod of approval. The gesture was a brazen show of favor that some would call unbecoming from someone who should remain unbiased. But Hiruzen cared not, for the shared twinkle in Naruto's eyes was confirmation to the old man that he had not failed in his mission to right the wrongs of fate and the hurtful intentions of the people.

Suddenly Naruto's shoulders stiffened, and his eyes snapped to the Kazekage, widening in what appeared to be disbelief as the smile fell from his face. The expression passed in an instant as he quickly stepped back from his introduction, and the carefree mask fell back into place. The Hokage would have missed it if he blinked, but now glanced once more at Rasa, who was ignoring the genin and once more focused on the doors.

"Uchiha Sasuke!" Chaos erupted as the throngs of spectators madly cheered for the hometown hero, the tragic protagonist, the most eligible bachelor: The Last Uchiha.

Seconds ticked by and the deafening adulation did not wane as they begged for the appearance of their favorite shinobi, every eye in the whole stadium was zeroed in on the double doors, but the much anticipated figure did not appear.

"Kami damn that Kakashi," Hiruzen grumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "he wasn't supposed to teach them his bad habits." Sighing deeply he saw that Genma was looking to him with the obvious question written on his face, _do we dare eliminate the Uchiha as a 'no show'?_ He would rather not, but rules were rules...

A full minute ticked by. Bracing himself to stand, the Hokage prepared to make what was bound to be a devastating declaration for the citizens of Konoha, when the Kazekage's hand snapped out to wrap cool fingers around his wrist and pause him.

"Come now, Hokage-dono," Rasa's beady black eyes drilled into Hiruzen's surprised face, the breach in protocol had the ANBU tensing behind him. "Surely we can wait for the Uchiha to arrive? He is a highly anticipated ninja, even for myself, who has traveled so far to satisfy my curiosity about the talent of the Sharingan survivor." The Hokage pulled his arm away from the undignified grasp, but waved his guard down and settled back into his seat, suspicions truly aroused at this point.

"So be it," and with a gesture down to Genma, the jonin merely bounced his senbon in response before addressing the crowd.

"Rock Lee!" With attention diverted back to the arena, no one noticed the small frog the size of a thumbnail land upon Hiruzen's shoulder and whisper in his ear.

"A message from Namikaze-san," croaked the amphibian, and a shudder went down The Professor's spine unbidden, the memories associated with the legendary name still blending into the identity of its recent adopter. "He has sensed the true chakra of the man beside you, Orochimaru is masquerading as the Kazekage. I will be passing this on to Jiraiya-sama as well."

Years of training were all that kept the stoic mask upon the former Sensei's face as the summons popped away, leaving the traitor of his heart; the chief burden of his heaviest guilt; and the orchestrator of multiple atrocities who sat beside him completely unaware that he had been revealed. Reaching for his pipe with shaking hands, it took Hiruzen two tries to get the thing lit and smoking. The man beside him snickered, "Need some assistance, Hokage-dono? Time seems to truly spare no one."

He took a long pull on his pipe, steadying himself before he answered. "Time is a relentless master, yes, but his faithfulness is unparalleled. Such a virtue is difficult to find when one looks upon the world these days."

"Hn," the imposter hummed gamely at the provoking analogy. "And when you look upon those before us now, these genin, the clans, the ignorant peasants, what is it that you see, _Sarutobi-sama_?"

Smoke seeped from Hiruzen's nostrils as he slowly exhaled and tilted his head to expose a gimlet eye from underneath his hat. "I see the past, I see the present, and I see the future. I see the Will of Fire that still burns brightly." _I see you, Traitor._

* * *

Her white eyes pan over the crowd and she activated her bloodline to look for his face in the sea of people. _There he is_ , his own Byakugan beaming his familiar chakra across the arena, and she knows he is watching them carefully. While most are talking to their neighbors, pointing around the stadium at the many foreign visitors, or devouring the food from the stalls outside, her father is looking right at her. She smiled, and noticed his eyes crinkle in his own expression of pleasure and no small amount of pride. The small wisp of insecurity that had been fighting for a hold in her brain snuffs out. She is here. She made it. She is worthy.

Her gaze sweeps across the rest of the Hyuga in attendance. Her grandfather Hiroto-sama has the expected mask of calm, but in her opinion his eyes are dancing with anticipation. Hiashi is flanked by his newest paramour and a dignitary she thought to be a lord of some sort based on his rich _haori_. A few other nobles of high social rank are seated alongside the group, and Hiashi is blatantly disregarding Neji and herself in favor of schmoozing with the elite members of his entourage. The sight erects the painfully unwanted childhood memories of being continually ignored by him despite her attempts at gaining his favor. Hinata has put years of effort, oceans of sweat, tears, and blood into overcoming the soul deep wounds of a child rejected by the one it sees as a father. And while the love and bonds she now surrounded herself with have shriveled that feeling of inherent imperfection and weakness down to a mere husk, the stubborn weed of self doubt was hard to completely eradicate.

But she is not that timid girl anymore, she is a proud kunoichi who basks in the sun instead of hiding in the shadows. If he still refused to entertain the idea that she had potential, that even she could amount to something, then she will force him to see her. Today she will not be ignored. Her determination doubled and she dug her feet into the dirt, turning to face her opponent, who stood still as stone with his head bowed and eyes closed, deep in his own mental preparations.

" _Hajime_!"

It is a glorious battle.

They are two sides of the same coin, siblings made of yin and yang. Their styles are similar, the virtuosity of their bloodlines was indisputable. Both combatant's methods are solid and undeniably Hyuga, but unique as well. He is rock and she is water. His blows are mighty, his bursts of chakra more powerful. But she is fluidity itself, and her accuracy is unmatched. The fruit of her labors over the last month of training are revealed in an ingenious version of the _kaiten_ that displayed the dramatic range of her flexibility, allowing her to maintain a set stance and steady gaze while deflecting his attacks, instead of losing sight of Neji by performing the blind spin of the traditional _kaiten_. She conserves more chakra this way, using her precision to deflect each calculated blow, and out maneuver his strikes at the last second, while landing extra hits on his _tenketsu_ before he can retreat. But Neji is not a genius by name alone, and quickly adapted to her new style by pushing the advantage of his strength, closing multiple chakra points whenever he does manage to touch her, and soon both Hyuga are struggling in a battle of stamina and pain endurance.

Neji launched at her again, dodging her flying shuriken with some difficulty due to all the closed _tenketsu_ in his legs. The small variation of his trajectory allowed her an opportunity to land a deciding blow, and her Byakugan locked onto the obscure chakra point nestled in his chest. If she missed to the left, she could strike his aorta, bursting it on impact. If she missed to the right, she could sever his trachea, and he would never draw another breath. If she missed high, she could shatter his thoracic vertebrae and he would never walk again. If she hit her mark with the perfect amount of chakra, she would instantly stop his heart.

She _breathes_ , her eyes see everything, her muscles obey her every command, her fingertips glow, her focus is unshakable.

She did not miss.

Neji's eyes bulged and his mouth gaped, he slowly slumped to his knees, and with a deep cough that sprayed blood across the dirt, he collapsed at Hinata's feet. She stood over him, frozen in the stance of her completed move, not even looking at his fallen body.

She waited.

"Winner: Hyuga Hinata!"

Instantly she flung his body over onto his back and chakra once again blazed across her hand as she slammed her palm into his unmoving chest with enough force to jerk all his limbs up off the ground. Her temples throbbed as she stared at the missing pulse in his neck, hand firmly settled against his torso.

He breathed.

Gasps rippled through the masses, building into raucous cheers as Hinata helped Neji into a sitting position while whispering apologies for her brutal move. He coughed again, blinking away the lightheadedness as blood returned to his brain, dazedly looking into her eyes as he realized what she had just accomplished. She killed him, and then forced his heart to beat again.

"Don't be sorry," he rasped, standing up slowly and accepting the shoulder of a medic who had trotted out to assess him. "Not even I can hit that _tenketsu_ with enough accuracy to only affect the heart, let alone on a moving target." A faint hint of a smirk quirked his pale lips as she blushed from his praise and admonished the medic to ensure that there was no major vessel damage around the point of impact in his chest. Before he turned away he murmurs for her ears alone, "Well done, Imouto."

When the crowd sees him walking off the arena floor under mostly his own power, the bleachers shake with the volume of their applause. Hinata faced her Hokage, and bowed in respect, acknowledging his own beaming smile and graciously accepting the accolades of the audience. Straightening up she immediately looked at her father, who's expression of awe and pride made her feel as though she could fly on the heights of his open adoration.

Then she sees Hiashi, and how his surprised expression slid into one of smugness as the dignitary leaned over to express his praise of the "talented young kunoichi". Hinata can read their lips, her bloodline still active, and her elation turned to abhorrence as she observed Hiashi's response.

"That one is mine," he smugly smiled. "The boy is only my brother's son." Despite knowing full well that he was not her sire, the man shamelessly manipulated the truth to his favor, claiming her victory as if it were his own, robbing her of her hard work by attributing her talent to be solely the result of his superior genetic endowment. All while simultaneously disrespecting his own brother and nephew, purely to fuel his insatiable ego.

Fury roared through her soul, burning away the barriers she had spent a lifetime building around her darkest truth, and with disgust, she could clearly see that even after all this time, there was still a small part of her that craved that man's approval. That wanted to see his eyes look upon her with respect, even if not as a daughter, at least as a Hyuga. _No more_ , she seethed within her mind, _no more seeking someone else's approval. I am my own worth, I am more than a good performance, I am_ _more than my fate_. The deeply hidden emotional cage that still bound the spirit of a broken child, snapped. _I will make you see me._

Stooping to her knees Hinata dragged her fingers through the puddle of Neji's blood. The entirety of the buzzing masses gawked as she stood and raised her bloody fist straight towards the Head of the Hyuga Clan, and her voice echoed unchallenged throughout the stands.

"My name is Hyuga Hinata, kunoichi of Konohagakure, daughter of Hyuga Hizashi, sister to Hyuga Neji, and I swear upon the blood of my brother, of my family, of every Branch member who has ever been branded and caged, that I will break the cycle of hatred within the clan!" Reaching up with her other hand she ripped the sweaty bandages off of her head, exposing the garish seal upon her face for all to see.

Placing the palm of her bloody hand over her heaving chest, she did not stop there, she did not waver. "I swear on the memory of my mother, I will free the Hyuga and unite the clan. For we are stronger together. That is my promise." Her gaze locked onto her father, who was staring at her unflinchingly with tears running down his beaming face. "And I never break a promise."

Her arms fall to her sides, exposing the crimson handprint over her heart, and the discarded bandages flutter to her feet. Hiashi is breathing so hard that his exhalations are hissing through his teeth, Hinata can see the rage that lit up the crazy in his eyes, but his hands are tied. If he lashed out here, he will not only validate her humiliating depiction of the Main House as evil slave masters, but he would be interfering with an International event, which was a punishable crime. He knows she has him cornered, for now.

In a sudden whoosh of leaves, two men stand on each side of her, and the stunned crowd bursts out into open shouts, the tension of the air charging their applause into a nearly unholy cacophony.

"Eh, sorry we are late. There was a rat that crossed our path and decided to pick a fight, but unfortunately it escaped," droned the gray-haired shinobi to Hinata's left. He noticed her bloody hand and the pulsing veins at her temples. "Hmm, seems we missed the first match, Sasuke."

"Hn," the genin to her right hummed, his sharp eyes fixating on the furious expression upon the face of the Hyuga Clan Head. A snicker bubbled out of his throat and he tilted his head in the direction of his teammate.

"The fools seem surprised that you have won," he smoothly stated, adjusting the _chokuto_ that was strapped to his back. "The _Hyuga_ are rather blind after all."

Hinata merely smirked at the friendly taunt, as she spun around to walk back towards the double doors, pleased that he had assumed her to be victorious. "Indeed. Good luck, _Uchiha_ , not that you need it. But be aware, Naruto-kun sensed The Snake in the Kazekage's cloaks."

His frown was small as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, reveling in the feel of the weight upon his back as he again adjusted the newest weapon in his arsenal. Kakashi whined as he followed his female student off the arena. "Damn, I should have put money down on that fight. I knew you would win, I could have had Gai doing laps around the village from now until the end of eternity…"

Hinata allowed a slightly hysterical giggle to escape her, as the ridiculous words of her sensei opened the floodgates of her mind and freed her tension in a string of silliness. By the time she had crossed the threshold into the waiting area, and been engulfed in Naruto-kun's embrace, her heart was desperate for the soul steadying infusion of his reassurance, his praise, his joy, and his unfailing faith. She had changed the Hyuga forever today, and he knew it as well as she. Despite the screams of the masses, all she could hear were his words, whispered in her ear, "Hime, you are the bravest person I ever met, have I ever told you that?"


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This chapter contains graphic descriptions of violence.**

CHAPTER 22

Konoha Crush: Part 1

"I see," Hiruzen kept his head tilted down as he grimly acknowledged Kakashi's update of the 'rat' that had crossed their path and caused their tardy arrival. They had stumbled upon Hayate in mid-battle with the suspected spy that Ibiki had been tracking. Hayate would most likely have been killed if it were not for their intervention, and Kakashi had insisted on taking him to the hospital even though it meant that the spy had escaped.

"Well done, Kakashi. I assume Naruto has updated you?" The Hokage noted the succinct nod of affirmation. "I think there is something more than just a possible kidnapping attempt in the works. Call it an Old man's intuition. Join the crowd for now, stay alert."

"Hai." A few stray leaves marked the jonin's exit. Hiruzen lifted his head to exhale a cloud of fragrant tobacco and cast a sidelong glance at the imposter who sat beside him. Orochimaru was continuing to uphold his guise of being the Kazekage, and seemed disturbingly unconcerned by Hiruzen's side conversation with the Copy Nin. _Either he is overconfident, or he feels that he is prepared to face us, whether we are aware of his plans or not._

During their whispered discussion, Kankuro had forfeited to Shino without so much as setting foot upon the arena, which caused the Aburame to buzz in annoyance and the ANBU to look at one another in confusion. "Rasa" was unperturbed. Genma merely chewed on his senbon before announcing Shino the winner and immediately calling out the next match.

"Rock Lee vs. Uchiha Sasuke!"

* * *

"UGH!" Sasuke blocked yet another brutally strong roundhouse kick from Lee, he couldn't keep absorbing the beatings from blocking the massive strikes in order to get close enough to land some of his own, he needed to start evading them all together. I was trying to save my chakra, but he is too fast. With a pulse of chakra and a blink, his two-tomoed Sharingan spun alive, and the crowd roared. He gasped as the seal on his neck instantly started to throb and he barely dodged the next attack due to the painful distraction, without his bloodline he would have been knocked out cold. _Why is it aching so much now? I have been training my Sharingan all month without difficulty. Unless…it's because HE is here…_

The pace changed instantly, the two teenagers were moving with such speed that only the jonin were able to keep up with their movements. Sasuke had spent a grueling amount of time building up his speed to match the visibility of his bloodline, and he needed every millisecond. Lee had unraveled the bandages around his wrists and was attempting to entrap Sasuke, but the Uchiha was able to slice through them with his sword. Stop playing around, a voice whispered in his head, _just **end** him, you know how._

"NO!" Sasuke yelled at the inner thought, and angrily punched Lee with his frustration empowering his strength, sending the green clad genin tumbling away. The Uchiha rubbed his neck, but his hand froze and his eyes widened in dismay as he saw Lee stand and remove his ankle weights, shaking the earth with their impact as he dropped them. _Shit, you've got to be kidding me. Who the hell trains like this?_

They clashed again, and to his alarm, Sasuke was having to push more and more chakra into his limbs to fend off the insanely fast genin, let alone retaliate with any hope of achieving victory. Unbidden, panic began to pool in the pit of his stomach. _I cannot lose, I am the pride of the Uchiha!_

Borrowing a trick from his teammate's book Sasuke threw a kunai and used it to get behind his opponent with a _kawarimi_ , then slammed his sword's handle into the back of Lee's head, sending the boy smashing face first into the ground. Just as Sasuke was about to deactivate his Sharingan thinking he had KO'd his opponent, the prone form burst into a green glowing aura and Lee leapt to his feet with an unhinged scream of youthfulness. _What is this jutsu? I cannot see any chakra within it, but it is something very powerful, something different than anything I have ever faced…_

As Lee yelled the name of one gate after another, Sasuke watched in horror as his opponent seemed to turn into a demigod of might and vigor before his eyes. The newly enhanced genin was insanely fast, and none of the Uchiha's swings, punches, or kicks were coming close to landing, and dodging was nigh impossible. With a final tremendous attack, Lee sent Sasuke's new sword spinning out of his aching grasp, and before he knew what was happening, he was tightly bound in what seemed like miles of bandages and being thrown into the sky. The immense throbbing in his neck blended with the pain that screamed throughout his entire body, and his mind reeled. _I cannot lose, I cannot fail, I am their only justice, they are watching me, I cannot disappoint them, Father will we furious, I have to do it, I have to succeed, I am their last hope, I am an avenger, I will not have mercy, I will not hold back…_

Suspended at the top of their trajectory, they were weightless in the air as Lee prepared to bring Sasuke into the deadly Primary Lotus, when suddenly electricity crackled across the Uchiha's body, coming into blinding focus on his left hand. " _CHIDORI_!"

They landed on the dirt, facing one another as shredded bandages rained around them like macabre confetti. White eyes focused on red, and they charged. Lee was nearly at his limit, the Lotus was to have been his final move, and now he only had enough endurance for one last massive hit, to dodge would be wasting precious time.

The chirp of a thousand birds pierced the ozone filled air as Sasuke grinned and raced towards his enemy, the world was painted red in his mind's perception. _I will show you the power of the Uchiha! You will never forget the day you stupidly challenged my Sharingan!_

"LEE NOOO!"

Gai was instantly at his disciple's side, cradling the screaming teenager as he clutched his shattered right fist, the wrist was bent awkwardly, and the sharp protrusion of his humerus could be seen bulging beneath the skin of his upper arm. Genma flashed over to stand before the panting Uchiha, who was powering up a second _c_ _hidori_ to deliver the death blow upon the defenseless genin, and seized his sparking arm over their heads.

"Are you unable to continue?" the jonin ground out around his senbon, never taking his eyes off the Uchiha's crimson gaze, as he addressed the genin behind him.

"He forfeits," Gai rasped through his tears, already scooping up Lee's body and turning to sprint toward the medics, leaving a trail of blood and the echoes of his wounded student's howls reverberating through the stadium.

Genma glared down at the victorious teenager, squeezing his wrist painfully tight before Sasuke finally cut off his _chidori_ , and let the Sharingan bleed out of his eyes with a scowl of annoyance. The jonin dropped Sasuke's arm in disgust, clicking his teeth around the senbon as he turned to address the crowd.

"Winner: Uchiha Sasuke!"

Sasuke blinked as his bloodline faded, his expression changing from fury to confusion as he felt a fog lift from his mind. He grimaced at the immense ache of his seal, it was nearly burning his skin and making his whole shoulder throb. As he trudged over to pick up his sword and slowly stood, he felt an unwelcomely familiar tingle run from the cursed mark up the nape of his neck. Straightening, he looked towards the Kage's platform where the beady black eyes of The Imposter were dancing with maniacal glee and sinister desire, making Sasuke sick to his stomach. Not even bothering to bow to the Village Leaders or acknowledge the adulation of his fans, he nearly ran back through the double doors. But he could not escape the voice in his brain that hissed, _I see you, Sasuke-kun_.

* * *

Orochimaru's sultry chuckle as he observed the fight made Hiruzen's skin crawl. The disapproving scowl that darkened the Hokage's face as he watched Genma practically have to put the Uchiha down before he ceased his attack, deepened as he saw the pleasure that danced in his former student's eyes. _Kami, how far have you fallen?_ Aside from his twisted mirth, the posing Kazekage had made no threatening move, only leaning forward to avidly observe the fight, as nearly the entire audience had done. Hiruzen found this restraint none too surprising, it would not be wise to steal the Uchiha straight off the arena floor. _So when? Kankuro's forfeiture could be seen as a tactical move to preserve energy for a future fight. But it was so obvious, perhaps he is injured?_

Below in the arena, Genma called out the names of Temari and one of the Sound Nin, and Hiruzen furrowed his eyebrows as she eagerly met her opponent on the floor and proceeded to mercilessly attack him with her wind chakra, securing an easy victory. Apparently she felt no need to hold back as her brother had done. _It will rest upon Gaara then? The unstable jinchuriki. Would they dare pin their plans on the behavior of such a wild card? Orochimaru, what are you planning..._

* * *

"Next competitors: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Gaara!"

"It's the demon child."

"There's no mistaking him, look at those whiskers."

"They let that troublemaker become a shinobi?"

"I hope he doesn't release that monster and kill us all."

"I hope he does win, then he will face the Uchiha and be put down for good."

Kakashi grit his teeth as his sensitive ears picked up the murmured comments of the crowd around him. They had no idea what they were talking about, and their ignorant assumptions had even his own laid back nature boiling with irritation. Between dealing with Hayate on the way to the exams, hearing about Hinata's brave but nearly suicidal declaration and oath after beating Neji, and watching the way Sasuke had lost control of himself during the battle with Lee, Team Seven's sensei was already on edge. And despite the faith he had in Pup, he truly feared the potential proportions to which a battle between the two jinchuriki now facing each other could escalate.

" _Hajime_!"

" _Tajū kage bunshin no jutsu_!"

Gasps whispered across the spectators as no less than a hundred blond ninjas burst into existence, challenging the snarling Gaara to split his focus all over the arena in order to defend himself. Sand swept across the floor, some clones were destroyed, but others landed massive kicks that rattled the sand barriers which formed to block them. The comments of the crowd grew louder around Kakashi as their astonishment multiplied like the _bunshin_ below.

"So many clones!"

"I haven't seen this since that red haired kunoichi, what was her name?"

"Wasn't she an Uzumaki as well?"

The remaining clones all drew their kunai and in perfect sync threw their weapons, drawing much smaller defensive spikes of sand out from the sphere that was slowly building up around the unmoving Gaara. At the last second, Naruto's clones used a _kawarimi_ to swap with the flying blades, allowing several of the _bunshin_ to break past the minimal defense of the smaller sand spikes and collide with enough force to throw Gaara off his feet. He laid blinking in shock at the unexpected body swaps and tried to understand the feeling of pain that caused blood to trickle down his face. Across the arena Kankuro and Temari shared a look of silent incredulity and fear at their brother's stupefied reaction. The crowds felt no such hesitancy to voice their approval of the unexpectedly successful attack.

"He landed a hit!"

"What a move!"

"Unpredictable as ever, that kid."

The seething Gaara suddenly let out a scream of rage and twisted around with his arm extended, intent on crucifying Naruto upon a spear of sand. But the mind of the Leaf genin was never idle, and as his enemy had laid dazed upon the earth, four more clones were already setting up a perimeter around the infuriated jinchuriki. Just as the sand began to shoot from the gourd upon Gaara's back, four walls flashed up around him in a barricade of chakra that was laced with rows of intricate sealing arrays, trapping him inside along with his tumultuous sand. At each corner of the chakra cage, a smirking clone grit his teeth in concentration, completely tuning out the audibly growing admiration of the audience.

"Kami be damned, he can do fuuinjutsu?!"

"How much chakra does that guy have?"

"This is a hell of a fight!"

Gaara was looking more crazed by the minute, and muttering in a voice too low for the sound to be heard over the rowdy crowd, but the words upon his lips were clear enough to read for any sharp eyed shinobi. _You will not defeat Mother, feel her wrath as she satisfies her hunger for vengeance with your blood._ Kakashi's grip tightened on the railing where he stood when a dome of sand completely engulfed the bleeding Gaara who was pouring out enough killing intent for the Copy Nin to feel it all the way up in the stands. But he had seen Naruto spar enough times to know the teenager was still feeling out his opponent, looking for a critical weakness. Naruto's blond hair nearly gleamed in the bright sunlight as he cocked his head to the side, as though listening to an invisible partner, and Kakashi grinned under his mask. It was time to see what Pup could really do. _I hope the civvies don't shit themselves, it would be annoying for my nose._

With a quick hand sign another horde of clones filled the arena, immediately pairing off and beginning to work their hands as though molding invisible clay. The Original Naruto was lost amongst the bowed heads, who all continued their focused efforts as the weight of Gaara's malice intensified, causing even some of the non-shinobi citizens around Kakashi to fidget uncomfortably. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted the ANBU turning one by one from scanning the audience to scrutinizing the fight below, each twitching towards their own weapons as they picked up on the building miasma of the demonic aura. Kakashi knew it wasn't coming from his student, but from within the solid sphere of sand. Lifting his hitae-ate to assess the hidden jinchuriki, he stifled a gasp of horror at the blinding level of chakra that was writhing within the confines of Gaara's Ultimate Defense. _Shit! That's an insane amount of chakra building up in there. Kakashi was so focused on the fearsome sight that he nearly missed the exclamations of awe coming from the spectators around him._

"It can't be! That's—that's The Fourth's jutsu!"

"The _Rasengan_!? And so many!"

"It's so nostalgic, he even kinda looks like the Yondaime."

"Kick his ass, Naruto!"

The throaty war cry of an army of slit-eyed shadow clones echoed through the stadium as they leapt toward their target. The fuuinjutsu barrier was released with perfect timing as they rained blinding spheres of pure swirling chakra one after another upon the top of the now undulating shell of sand. The hail of impacts lasted for several seconds and by the end the crowd was cheering enthusiastically at the spectacular sight of the perfectly executed A-ranked jutsu that most of Konoha considered a national treasure.

When a massive and grotesquely distorted arm covered in purple markings erupted from a crack in the shell, the whole audience recoiled in disgust. Kakashi glanced at Genma, who looked like he had nearly swallowed his senbon and saw the same dread creeping into the jonin's expression that the Copy Nin felt in his own gut. _That wasn't some D-rank transformation jutsu. That was the real deal. Pup, do you know what you're doing?_

The creature emerged from his shell, revealing it to be the mutated amalgamation of the jinchuriki and his beast, his eyes split between black and teal, his mouth contorted with fangs and a maniacal grin. The thing lurched towards the few clones that were left, screaming for the real Naruto to face him, only to have his rant abruptly cut off when The Original himself shot out of the earth with an enormous _Rasengan_ the size of which Kakashi had never conjured himself in his entire life, and slammed the powerful sphere of chakra directly into the monster's chin.

Pandemonium reigned around Kakashi as the crowd leapt to their feet at what appeared to be a victorious end to the flashy battle. The beast collided with the wall of the arena, sending cracks spider-webbing all the way up into the stands and forcing people to scramble for safety. But the celebrations were premature, _don't let your guard down yet Pup!_

Out of nowhere feathers began to fall from the sky, and Kakashi's well honed instincts kicked in as the lazy jonin instantly assumed the mindset of battle hardened assassin. Electricity curled down his forearm to form the deadly lightning blade for which he was feared across the nations. Below in the arena a massive sandy tail lashed out from the frenzied Gaara, flailing around and breaking several support beams nearby before swiping at Naruto. The genin jumped out of range, and then took off towards the forest, luring the single minded jinchuriki away from the heart of the city, and Kakashi saw Sasuke and Hinata race after them in hot pursuit. Pride and resignation mingled within their sensei as he watched Team Seven disappear from sight. _Let it begin_.

* * *

Sakura's heart was pounding so loudly she didn't hear the kunai whizzing towards her until it was nearly too late and someone else thankfully darted forward to deflect the deadly weapon. She stared blankly at the gray-haired jonin who was yelling something at her from behind his mask, but her mind was so overloaded by the sudden battle that had erupted around them that she couldn't process a single word. _It's like the Forest of Death all over again, I can't fight them all by myself, where are the boys? I can't do this, there's no way…_

Seeing her frozen face, the shinobi dismissed her and quickly moved on, taking out another foreign ninja with a stab from his _chidori_ , and red blood poured from the wound in the fallen man's chest to run down the stairs between the bleachers where she hid. _Severed aorta._.. her brain dimly flickered to the page of the medical text she had read while in the academy.

The blurred form of the green spandex sensei leapt over her head, _what was his name again?_ With a youthful howl he barely blocked the unconscious citizens from being hit by the wild jutsus flying around them, before viciously head butting a foreign shinobi and immediately darting away in search of more opponents. The enemy's body fell to her left, his eyes vacant. _Multiple fractures to the frontal and nasal bone with bone fragments imbedded in the brain…_ her clouded mind latched onto the only thing that made sense in the moment, and she could clearly visualize the diagram of the human head from page 237.

Suddenly she realized what the masked jonin must have been saying, _the civilians, they need to get out. The others can't fight properly with them in the_ _way_. Her body remained frozen but her mind latched onto the thought, the thousands of pages of strategy she had absorbed sliding through her brain like ticker-tape. _I need back-up, someone to cover me, someone to help me find those who are trapped, then I can focus on waking them up from the genjutsu, I can do this! Shannaro!_

Taking a deep breath, Sakura slipped through the stands, starting with Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru, she released them from the genjutsu. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio immediately got down to business, their renowned teamwork clearing the entire section of enemies with the perfect synchronization of a well oiled machine. To her massive relief she stumbled across Kiba and Akamaru, her panic receding greatly as the white Ninken happily licked her face, and together they quickly formed a search-and-rescue team, reviving and evacuating all the civilians within reach.

The last boy they pulled from their section of the stands had an obviously broken leg, and as they gently delivered him to the rapidly overflowing medical bay, Sakura's eyes widened at the entirely different level of organized chaos that reigned in this new arena.

"Puncture wound to the left thorax," she heard one medic shout, "patient has a deviated trachea and cyanosis!" _Hemothorax: page 134, place chest tube and drain fluid to reinflate the lung..._

"Right arm amputation proximal to the elbow!" _Page 76, elevate the limb and apply pressure to stop the bleeding. If found, wrap the limb in plastic and place it on ice..._

"Third degree burns across the chest, neck, abdomen, and left arm!" _Page 24, Rule of Nines: 27% body surface area, immediately clean and cool the wound. Infection prevention, fluid replacement, and pain control are imperative..._

"Sakura! I'm going back to find Team 10, they were moving on to the next section. Most of the civvies are out now, but there may still be a few trapped with how the building is starting to collapse. Akamaru and I are going to do one more lap, you coming?" Kiba was panting, but his voice was full of energy, his instincts pulling him back to the front line. Sakura straightened, the thought of going back into the heated war-zone making her stomach knot. She scanned the rows and rows of wounded, with more arriving every minute, and saw the harried faces of the overwhelmed medics racing to triage and treat them all. A hand gripped her ankle and she flinched reflexively, but looked down to realize it was the desperate grasp of the child they had just carried.

"Please!" he cried, fear and agony making his breaths hiccup, "it hurts! Please help me! Where is my Kaa-san?" Kneeling down beside him, green chakra flowed from her fingers and she brushed a hand across his sweaty forehead, effortlessly engulfing him in a genjutsu of deep sleep to instantly ease his suffering. _Compound fracture of the tibia and fibula, page 55, bones need to be reduced immediately to preserve circulation to the distal limb. Now is the time to do it, before he wakes up…_

"Go on, Kiba," she murmured, the certainty of her purpose here cementing her determination with more clarity than she had ever felt on any training exercise or mission. Here she could make a greater difference than on the battlefield, here she could ease suffering instead of causing it.

Sakura tossed her pink hair out of her eyes and she moved to wrap her hands around the boy's ankle, visualizing the diagrams and step by step instructions of the Shinobi Trauma Field Manual in her mind with perfect accuracy. With a firm yank the crooked limb snapped back into place, and she heard her teammate heave behind her. A small smile formed on her lips as she reached for a nearby medical kit to begin fashioning a splint. "This is where I need to be."

* * *

"You inferior imbecilic piece of Branch filth!" Hiashi seethed as his hand tightened around the throat of Tadao. The rage that had been boiling within him had finally found an outlet upon the foolish guard who had thought that the pathetic genjutsu could ensnare the Head of the Clan. "You don't even deserve to die like a Hyuga, but as a common murderer!"

From his view down the row Satoshi was nearly stomping in frustration. Aware of the enemy's plans thanks to his spy, he had immediately roused the useless guard so that he could strike down Hiashi before he released the genjutsu, anticipating that it might not hold the powerful shinobi for long. But the baka Tadao had been so nervous that he had stumbled across the falling body of an unconscious dignitary and wasted precious seconds. An unskilled shinobi himself, Satoshi clumsily reached for the first kunai he could find and hurled it at the two foes, missing Hiashi completely but distracting him enough that Tadao was able to gasp out his final words in the slightly loosened grip.

"But it will be _my_ ch-children to inherit the t-title of Clan Head," Tadao grinned remorselessly at the shock that flashed through Hiashi's steely eyes. The dying Branch chunin rolled his gaze over to Satoshi, who was gaping in horror at the man's thoughtless revelation of their darkest secrets, "t-tell Ane and Hanabi-chan that I love them—"

The guard's body thumped heavily to the deck of the stands, his crushed windpipe ending his sentimental endearment. White fury pulsed from Hiashi's Byakugan as he slowly turned to see his _honorable_ wife's father scrambling backwards towards the stairs, the guilt and fear on his face all the confirmation the Clan Head needed to see. _You are a dead man Satoshi._

"Now is not the time Son!" Hiroto darted in front of the incensed man, clubbing another Branch guard who had awakened and was attempting to assassinate the Clan Head whilst he was focused on the retreating council member. Hiashi snarled at his father, who had forgone his pretense of dotage and was wielding his cane-turned-bo-staff like the experienced shinobi he had always been.

"This isn't over," Hiashi growled in response, glaring over his shoulder at his brother's back where Hizashi was fighting off multiple foreign shinobi while yelling for any other Branch members who dared to try their luck at assassination to instead focus on defeating the enemy invaders and evacuating the dignitaries. _This is the last straw of the Branch's insolence. Before this day is done, I will burn the forest and sow the fields anew._

* * *

Kabuto sliced his chakra scalpel across the neck of his opponent and turned away before the body hit the ground to look over from his perch and check on the loyalty of his Hyuga informer. A sly smile spread across his face as he saw that the clan was at each other's throats, doing a poor job of assisting to thwart the invasion. The elder father and his twin sons were fighting back to back fending off the attacks of their mutinous guards and other enemies. Then his eyes fell onto something immensely more interesting. Hana-san, the latest lover of the Clan Head, was cowering between the planks of the bleachers with her arms crossed protectively not over her head, but her abdomen. _What do we have here? This could be useful later on. Orochimaru-sama would be forever grateful if I helped him obtain the Sharingan **and** the Byakugan._

Swiftly darting over to her side, he grasped the sobbing woman by the arm and her trembling pearly eyes latched onto his ANBU mask. "It's alright, Hyuga-san," he said in a calming voice. "Come with me, the civilians are all being evacuated this way." She bit her lip in hesitation and cast a glance over to Hiashi, who was brutally disposing of a Branch guard that underestimated the furious strength of the Main House Leader. "Think of your child," Kabuto prompted, and smirked inwardly at her gasp and blush. _Bingo_.

The two flee as far as the breezeway of the stadium before he withdrew a syringe from the fold of his cloak and jammed it into her thigh. His glasses flashed and his smile widened as he carried her limp body past the medic tents and headed for the genjutsu disguised tunnel he used to enter and exit the village. Pulling a scroll from his hip pouch he bit his thumb and released the sealed serpent that Orochimaru had contained within it, just for his apprentice's usage.

"Take her to the hide out," the spy instructed, watching closely as the woman's body was smoothly swallowed by the massive reptile. "She carries the key to Master's plans in her womb. Do not allow her to die." A flick of a forked tongue was his only response as the creature swiftly disappeared.

* * *

As soon as Gaara took off after the blond genin, Kankuro and Temari vaulted over the railing on the balcony in hot pursuit. They passed Baki, who was facing the jonin proctor with a glare of deadly intent, and he shouted at them over his shoulder to bring Gaara back to the village at all costs. "We need his support if this is going to be successful!" he yelled just as Genma launched his senbon and began to attack.

"Dammit Gaara," Kankuro clicked his teeth in frustration. "He knew the plan and left us anyways, just to satisfy his own fucking bloodlust."

"Shut up and run!" Temari snapped as they raced up the high wall of the arena. "Something is off. That blond is not your average genin and I think he's triggered the beast within Gaara in a way we've never seen before." The puppet user glanced at her in concern when he heard the fear in her voice. Temari was his big sister and one tough kunoichi, if she was rattled then there truly must be some serious shit going down.

The pair crested the top of the stadium and transitioned to the trees around the structure, intent on catching up to Gaara by following the trail of destruction towards the outer reaches of the forest. Before they had cleared the edge of the main village, three figures landed before them and blocked their path.

"Get out of our way!" bellowed Kankuro, immediately animating his puppet with an ominous clatter that echoed like the sound of dry bones. "We're on a mission and we won't hesitate to kill anyone who tries to stop us!"

"You will not be joining your teammate," the tall one stated flatly as he adjusted the dark glasses on his face. "Why? Because you owe me a fight. I am your opponent now."

Temari withdrew her fan, spreading it wide with a flick of her wrist, and the brown haired girl with two buns grinned with malicious joy as she also reached for two scrolls, twirling them in her hands. "I've been wanting to try this new move out on a real enemy," she laughed mirthlessly.

"This fight will not save your friends from our little brother," Temari sneered, forcing more confidence into her stance than she felt. They were outnumbered, and without them for backup Gaara would be vulnerable after the bijuu had used him to fulfill its demonic hunger and discarded his chakra wasted body. She and Kankuro had to get to him before that other team of genin did. "He will destroy those three, and then the Leaf as well."

The third shinobi glared at her as the blood vessels on his temples pulsed and his steely silver eyes locked onto her. "My little sister is strong enough to save herself," he smirked. "Nor should her teammates be underestimated either. And you," he dropped into a taijutsu stance that had the Sand Siblings swallowing hard, "are in my range."

* * *

He slid under a bramble of bushes and clamped down his chakra level to nonexistence, breathing heavily into the dirt as he felt his clones spread out, leading the half formed bijuu on a wild goose chase further into the forest away from the village. His blue eyes closed and he let his forehead fall onto the fold of his red scarf as the bijuu within his own body roiled. He needed a break, he needed advice, and he knew just who to ask.

"Kyuubi!" Naruto blinked up at the bronze bars that separated his mindscape between prison and sewer. _One of these days I have got to figure out how to get rid of this gross water._ Behind the barrier, nine tails slashed in agitation as the Fox paced back and forth.

" **The answer is NO** ," the beast snarled before Naruto could get another word out of his mouth. " **The seal they enslaved him with is an atrocity as it is, and I will not allow you mortals to exact anymore torture upon my brethren**."

"I know, I just—"

" **You know nothing! They have reduced him to an insane monster, when he is the son of gods! His power should be worshipped yet he is forced to endure the dishonor of being treated as nothing more than—** "

"Than a weapon," Naruto crossed his arms and stared with sympathetic blue eyes up at the caged creature before him. A magnificent entity made of pure chakra and imbued with an independent will and consciousness that demanded the respect due to any living being. And yet here he was...

"I know, Kyuubi. We are more than weapons. We deserve more than to just be used whenever wanted and locked up whenever they wish to forget the sins they forced us to commit." He moved forward, fisting his hand over his heart in an earnest display of honesty. "I have no desire to see your brother tortured. I have no desire to murder Gaara. I do want to ease their suffering, but I have to stop them first."

Naruto sighed and scratched at the back of his head, starting to pace back and forth before the cage as the Kyuubi had been doing just moments ago. Red slitted eyes watched him with carefully hidden scrutiny as the teenager started rambling out his thoughts with each step.

"If I could get a better look at his seal I might be able to tweak it. I doubt I'll be able to reconstruct the entire thing, especially without Ero-sennin. But there might be a sequence that I could patch over, something that would allow a greater level of independence between Gaara and the crazy raccoon—"

" **He is the Ichibi** ," the Fox snorted as he settled upon his haunches, entertained more than he would admit by the frankly appropriate name for his younger brother.

"The One Tail, huh," Naruto paused and tapped his chin, scrunching up his face in thought. "Actually, that might just work in our favor…" Slamming his fist into his open palm with determination he smirked up at the demonic being before him with a foxy grin that nearly made the Kyuubi proud.

"Leave it to me, Furball! I promise I will do everything in my power to balance the scales that have burdened our Brothers from the Sand with such injustice. Can I count on you to have my back?" The Kyuubi snarled at the disrespectful form of address, but he hesitated before swiping his tails across the bars to throw the mouthy boy back into the outside world with a gust of wind. He had seen this human accomplish more than anyone had deemed him capable of over and over again. He had born witness to the magnitude of his understanding and the persuasiveness of his words. Felt the weight of his convictions, and seen how unshakably solid they stood despite being challenged by one fool after another. He knew first hand the validity of Naruto's promises.

" **Do not disappoint me, Mortal**."

Naruto jolted back to full awareness and was immediately assaulted by the memories of several clones that had been massacred by the rampaging jinchuriki, causing him to swallow hard and pray to Kami that he would never have to relive those moments ever again, even in his nightmares. The remaining clones had led the morphing Gaara into a clearing that would be ideal for battle, now if only he had—

His head snapped up at the arrival of his teammate's chakra signatures on the edges of his senses. _Now we're talking!_

* * *

Hinata and Sasuke landed next to Naruto just as he slammed his hand into the ground and yelled, " _kuchiyose no jutsu_!"

An orange toad the size of Naruto's head popped into existence at the group's feet, startling the two newcomers. "Naruto-kun!" Hinata gasped, "Since when did you have a summoning contract?"

Two bulgy eyes fixed on Hinata and widened in open admiration. "Yo Namikaze! You didn't tell me you had such a babe as a teammate!"

"Definitely a Naruto Summon," Sasuke sighed as Hinata turned two shades of pink. _Wait, did he say 'Namikaze'? Where have I heard that before?_

"We don't have time for that 'Kichi! There's a half-man-half-bijuu throwing a full blown temper tantrum over there because he wants to eat my guts for lunch! Where is Gamabunta?"

"Pops was summoned to the North guard tower by Jiraiya-sama to fight the Snake Summons."

"What about Gamaken?"

"West Tower."

"Gamahiro?"

Gamakichi frowned, "East Tower, more snakes."

Naruto growled in frustration, "I can't believe I'm saying this but, Gamariki?"

The orange toad crossed his arms, "South Tower, I'm starting to get offended."

Raking his fingers through his hair Naruto wracked his brain. "What about Ma and Pa?"

"Helping Jiraiya-sama with his Sage Mode. Seriously, did all that training we did together mean nothing to you?!"

Naruto was too busy swearing creatively, so it was Hinata who knelt down to sooth the hurt feelings of the amphibian. " _Gomen-nasai_ , Gamakichi-kun, he is just stressed over the invasion. My name is Hyuga Hinata. I'm sure Naruto-kun meant no offense, but you see, we are up against—"

Her words were cut off by the screeching cackle of the demented One Tailed Bijuu behind them and the small toad's eyes bugged out even more than they naturally did at the demonic sound. "Oh shit," he croaked.

"For once, I have to agree," Sasuke deadpanned, activating his Sharingan, and rapidly blinking before cutting off his bloodline again. "Judging by that chakra he's fully transformed now and there's only two clones left distracting him."

Naruto flinched hard and grunted as he grabbed his chest, "Ugh, make that one."

" **I know you're out there Mortal! I can feel the presence of the Kyuubi seeping from your pores. Release my brother so that we may reap our revenge upon the fools who stole our freedom!** "

"That's it!" Naruto exclaimed and immediately closed his eyes in concentration.

"Dobe! That wasn't a suggestion! You're not seriously considering setting that thing free?" Sasuke was ready to tackle his teammate.

"Wait!" Hinata gripped Sasuke's shoulder, her own bloodline flaring as she scanned the clearing. "Gaara is unconscious, he must have given over control to the Ichibi. Which means if we could just wake him up—"

"We can get his mind to overrule the bijuu again," Sasuke finished, easily following her train of thought. "So then all we need to do is get close enough, with a jutsu massive enough, to hold down a tailed beast long enough, to wake the jinchuriki just enough to control the monster. but not enough to put up a fight against us." He glanced over at Naruto's constipated look of concentration and frowned. "Kami save us..."

"I've got a plan!" the unpredictable ninja opened his blue eyes to reveal slitted pupils and a vulpine grin. "It's time for Team Seven to kick some ass!"


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This chapter contains scenes of graphic violence.**

CHAPTER 23

Konoha Crush: Part 2

"Alright, everyone ready?" Naruto's distorted voice reverberated through the trees and what wildlife had remained immediately fled the vicinity.

"Hai!" Hinata yelled, Byakugan activated and chakra already flowing through her hands.

Sasuke swallowed hard, forcing down the memory of the last time his teammate was cloaked in the frothing red chakra and looked into the crimson eyed version of Naruto that stood before him now. _I have to trust him_. "Hai."

Naruto nodded at his teammates, feeling the weight of their faith upon his shoulders. He would not let them down. _It's time Kyuubi. Gimme one tail!_

Hinata and Sasuke gasped as the demonic chakra amplified, triggering an instinctual feeling of panic that they fought to overcome. Naruto's screams only magnified their fear as they watched his teeth lengthen into fangs and his fingers grow long black claws. His eyes flashed with a feral bloodlust before he shook his head to dispel the unholy emotions, spiking his already frazzled hair before he turned to face them. "Now Hime," he panted.

She barely registered the tremor of her hands as she placed her palms upon his chest and pushed her chakra into his pulsing coils. Instantly he gasped like a diver coming up for air as the bubbling chakra smoothed over his body into a sleek crimson cloak of near blinding power. Their chakras oscillated together as Hinata worked with Naruto in seeking the point of balance where the beast and the boy were in perfect equilibrium. Naruto chuckled lowly and tipped his forehead down to tap it against her own until her vision was filled by his sharp incisors. "He likes you," Naruto shared with her in the manner of a child whispering a secret, despite knowing that the Kyuubi was able to hear every single syllable. "He won't admit it, but your chakra is his favorite too."

Not pausing to notice the adorable blush that was rapidly taking over her face, Naruto clenched his fists and braced himself for the next part. He had never been able to get this far in his training with Ero-sennin. But now he had Hime by his side, and similar to the way Ma and Pa could assist Jiraiya with his Sage Mode, it seemed her chakra could give Naruto the anchor he needed to weather the storm of the bijuu's potent hatred. "Okay, one more time," he breathed. _Hit me again, Kyuubi!_

Sasuke gaped as the heavy chakra surged once more, blowing Hinata's hair back and making him squint in the heat of the small blast. "Have you done this before?!" the Uchiha shouted over the swirling wind that was rapidly picking up speed and debris.

"Not...exactly..." Naruto yelled, his voice warbling into a register lower than any human's could reach. Suddenly his eyes became a fathomless white and he screamed once more, hunching over as a second tail of chakra emerged from the end of his arched spine. Pieces of skin started to peel away, revealing simmering raw flesh, and even Hinata began to whimper as the deadly transformation scalded her hands.

"Naruto! Get a hold of yourself!" Sasuke ignited his _chidori_ , ready to defend himself and Hinata should the jinchuriki's thready control snap completely. "You're hurting Hinata! You have to reel it in! NOW!"

As though the words were magic, the burning jinchuriki grunted and groaned as he struggled against the overwhelming hatred that raged through his mind. "I...will never...hurt my precious...people!"

Hinata felt Naruto's soul fighting its way back to her, and flashing images of nine orange tails whipping across massive bronze bars flickered through her mind. _I see you, Kyuubi,_ she cried out from her heart. _See me! I'm not going to hurt you!_

In her mind she imagined her chakra reaching out to the Demon, slender tendrils sliding through his orange fur like fingers down the back of a scared animal. Her heart channeled every memory of calm and comfort she could summon, infused them with her will to heal the hurt around her, to unify that which was broken, balance the inequity of fate, and with a mighty push she propelled her emotions into the quagmire of hatred.

Sasuke heaved a sigh of deep relief, glad that his teammates were too occupied to see his _chidori_ disappear as the cloak once again evened out into a brilliant mantle of polished crimson, and Naruto opened his flaming eyes to blink at Hinata in awe. "Hime..."

The screech of the Ichibi as he speared the final clone interrupted the group and Sasuke twisted around to see the demon blast away a grove of trees with the shock waves of his roar. "Save it for later you two, we're out of time!"

"R-right," Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand, seeking her guidance like the glow of a lighthouse through a thick malignant fog. She smiled up at him in reassurance, and his fanged grin was bright in response. _Thanks Kyuubi. I think you're gonna like this next part even more._

" _Henge no jutsu_!"

From a treetop a safe distance from the clearing Gamakichi whooped as Naruto transformed into a life sized Nine Tailed Demon and let out a roar that made the Ichibi shudder for its might. Upon the massive orange head, clinging to his ears stood Hinata and Sasuke, their dōjutsu pulsing red and lavender. "Kick his sandy ass!" the toad hollered from his perch, now quite grateful that he didn't have to fight in the Village and could witness this Battle Royale between the two jinchuriki.

"Naruto, get me close enough to catch his eye," Sasuke shouted into the ear he grasped, and the beast beneath his feet leapt forward with the speed of a hurricane force wind.

Claws and teeth slashed and gnashed as the two powerful entities fought to subdue one another. Naruto snarled and the Ichibi howled as they battled like titans over the green landscape. The earth rumbled beneath them, and way back in the village every head turned toward the forest where the overpowering apocalypse of dueling demons lit up the sky with flashes of chakra that were bright as lightening and roars of fury as loud as thunder.

"You have to hold him still!" Sasuke barked from atop the thrashing skull.

"I'm fucking trying!" the transformed fox growled beneath him.

"You have eight more goddamned tails than he does! Use them!"

Naruto grunted as he blocked another sweep of the Ichibi's arm and sunk a fist into the creature's gut with enough force to throw him onto his back. "I didn't think of that, I'm not used to fighting with all the extra limbs."

If Sasuke had a free hand he would face palm. "Honestly Dobe, sometimes I wonder about you," he muttered.

"I heard that Teme!" Naruto snapped as he prepared for the new move. "You're literally in my fucking ear!"

"Language!" Hinata hissed. "Less cussing more winning! Go before he gets back up!"

Nine tails struck out at the downed Ichibi and pinned him to the earth, one long orange tail wrapping around his neck to hold his head steady as the rest of his body thrashed in savage indignation within the tight hold. The Uchiha wasted no time and sprinted down to land upon the bijuu's face and immediately locked his Sharingan onto the black and gold eye. " _Genjutsu: Sharingan_!"

The body of the beast went rigid as the catatonia of the jutsu took hold. "I can't hold him forever! Hurry up!" Sasuke fought the urge to blink away the blood that trickled from his eyes as he focused all his chakra into his Sharingan.

Hinata dropped to a knee and placed her hands upon the center of Naruto's furred forehead, praying that the chakra she had left would be enough as she sought that connection with Naruto's mind she had tapped into moments ago, which seemed so natural and yet so elusive. _Naruto-kun, I'm here, just feel me, and follow my lead._

The jinchuriki closed his eyes and felt his soul settle into the solidity of her presence that attracted his mind with a magnetic force. _I see you Hime..._

They opened their eyes in unison, and together drilled their victim with a penetrating stare as they chanted, " **Locked on**."

Two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four, one hundred twenty-eight strikes smashed every one of the Ichibi's _tenketsu_ shut, and soon the entire body of the bijuu melted beneath Naruto's tails, leaving nothing but a red headed genin lying limply upon a pile of loose sand.

The henge evaporated in a puff of smoke and Hinata and Sasuke collapsed upon the earth panting in exhaustion. Naruto staggered over to the unconscious Gaara, his own orange clothes shredded and waving in the strong breeze that swept across the sand as if the earth herself was catching her breath after the fantastic conflict. He pulled back his fist, aiming at the kanji for "love" on the pale forehead below him.

"Time to wake up and have a chat Gaara."

* * *

Kakashi watched Pakkun disappear from sight towards the forest where the sounds of battle had suddenly gone silent. "I'll report back as soon as I find the Pup!" the ninken shouted as he jumped away.

The Copy Nin looked around him, the fighting within the stadium was over, the civilians were evacuated, the Hyuga's had mysteriously disappeared, and the remaining Leaf shinobi had moved on to other hot spots around the village. His ANBU training kicked in as he prioritized his next move, _protect the Hokage_.

Landing on the roof next to the other ANBU who were anxiously watching the battle between Sensei and Student, Kakashi took in the sight of the _Shishienjin_ barrier that encased the opponents and the four freakish looking ninja that were maintaining the jutsu.

"Report," the former ANBU demanded, and the masked shinobi didn't hesitate to answer the infamous _Sharingan no Kakashi_.

"The purple flame walls engulf everything—and everyone—that comes in contact with them. The Sound Four have placed themselves inside the barrier and we cannot get anything in or out to aid the Hokage."

"Have you tried coming up from underneath? Disturbing their footing might distract them enough to weaken the jutsu," he lifted his hitae-ate, grimacing at the pain that pierced his head from having used his Sharingan so much in a single day. Silence answered him and he glanced sideways at the blank looks of the painted masks beside him, seeing the wide eyes through the cut outs of the disguises. "For fuck's sake," he grumbled. "I guy retires for a few years and the whole place goes to hell."

The roof rumbled and his gifted bloodline caught the words that passed Orochimaru's sneering lips, " _Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei!_ "

"Shit! No time to be delicate people! We have to cave this roof in before those coffins open, that's the forbidden jutsu of The Nidaime and I don't want to see what kind of twisted fuckery that Snake added to it. Everyone to a corner, and on my mark hit it with all you've got, now scatter!"

Kakashi noted with satisfaction that no one challenged his authority as they instantly leapt away.

"Three!" The ANBU, past and present, posted up on the four corners of the already unstable rooftop.

"Two!" Chakra swirled in Kakashi's open palm as he poured the last of his reserves into the powerful jutsu his Sensei had taught him when he first became a member of the Leaf's Black Ops.

"ONE! _Rasengan_!" The tiles of the rooftop shattered upon impact and the beams of the building creaked and groaned before giving way in an enormous cloud of dust, bringing Kakashi down with all the rest as the purple flames of the _Shishienjin_ flickered and dispersed. As the corners of his vision started to blacken from exhaustion, he heard the ANBU calling out familiar tactical formations as they joined their leader to fight the rogue Sanin as a group. _I hope…this time…I wasn't too late…_

* * *

Naruto and his clone landed outside the hospital's triage area, each carrying a teammate, and he looked around for a place to set his burden down. He spotted a familiar head of pink hair and called out, "Sakura! A little help!"

The girl popped up from the side of the shinobi she was assisting with a drink and her green eyes widened at the sight of the unconscious Uchiha the clone was bringing her way. "Sasuke-kun! What happened?"

"He'll live," the clone grunted as he plopped the passed out teenager onto the ground at her feet. "He's just overdone it a bit. We had a hell of a time with that stupid raccoon."

Naruto reached out and smacked the clone upside the back of its head hard enough to dispel the jutsu. "Ehehe, don't mind him," he laughed awkwardly, adjusting Hinata's weight on his back, "the clones get a little sassy when they're tired."

Sakura had pulled Sasuke's head into her lap and was assiduously wiping the blood from his face, but glanced up at the tattered blond and his red faced teammate whose eyes swirled in a dazed trance. "Is she going to be okay? Do you want me to find someone to help her too?"

"No, I got her," Naruto quickly replied, craning his neck to check on his best friend. "She was fine until we cut through that last clump of branches. I'm not exactly sure what happened to her, but the thorns were pretty thick, they even ripped off the last of my shirt. Next thing I knew she was falling through the canopy, but I grabbed her before she got hurt." He frowned with genuine concern and shifted her around so as to get a better look at her flushed face. "You don't think there was something in those plants that made her sick or something do ya?"

Sakura snickered to herself as she saw the dreamy tilt of the soft smile on Hinata's lips. "I think she'll be fine as soon as you put a shirt back on, and probably some proper pants as well." Naruto looked down at his bare chest and firm abs, and the green frog underwear that peeked through his ripped orange pants, then blinked in confusion. "What would that have to do with anything?"

"Just take her home," Sakura sighed at the amazingly dense boy. "The fighting has finally died down and the Sound and Sand Shinobi are in full retreat. I need to help tend to the wounded, they are the main priority now."

Naruto observed the rows of injured people, ninja and civilian alike, and then noticed the blood stains on Sakura's clothes, and the chakra burns on her hands. Her voice was tired but confident, and for once the tone of her chakra felt more soothing and less…bansheeish. _She's been working really hard._

He grinned down at his former classmate. "Strong work Sakura! You've really been helpful to everyone haven't you? You should be proud of yourself. It's not easy to fix what's broken sometimes."

As Naruto turned to bound off in the direction of the Hyuga Compound, the long tail of his red scarf that somehow survived the day waving behind him, Sakura smiled at his retreating figure, her heart filling with pride. _Maybe not so dense after all._

A hand tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned to see a young medic with round glasses gesture at the comatose Sasuke in her lap. "Shall I look him over, Haruno-san?"

Sakura moved aside to allow the gray haired medic better access to her patient, thinking that she hadn't seen him before, but quickly pushing the thought aside as his hands steadily glowed with healing chakra. "He seems to be fine, some serious chakra exhaustion, but nothing that some rest won't fix," the man said calmly. "Could you hand me my stethoscope? It's in the side pocket of my kit over there."

When she turned her back to rummage through the bag beside her, the medic snapped his hands up to the curse mark on Sasuke's exposed neck, his chakra changing as he rapidly recited the words to the fuuinjutsu that would reverse the containment seal around his Master's mark.

"Here you go!" Sakura chirped as she thrust the tool into the startled medic's hands. "It wasn't in the side pocket though, I hope you don't mind that I dug around in your bag a bit to find it." Reverently she placed the Uchiha's head back onto her lap, and nodded her thanks at the frustrated man. "I can handle it from here, there are others that need your expertise more."

Kabuto frowned as he grabbed his bag and slipped away through the crowds to join Orochimaru-sama at the hideout where he had retreated to after failing to complete the invasion of Konoha. _Stupid girl, at least I was able to weaken the containment seal significantly._

* * *

Satoshi was gasping as he stumbled into the room where Ane was enduring her forced bedrest upon orders from the midwife. _I have to get her away, she isn't safe here anymore…_

The heavy stench of blood filled the air of the room and his nervous stomach lurched as he saw the midwife bent over his daughter, who was nearly as pale as the sheets that were stained with her sweat. Another Branch maid was in the corner, holding an impossibly small bundle that was wrapped tightly, silent and still. _Again? Kami has surely cursed us for our sins._

"Where is my husband?" croaked the hoarse voice of his daughter, and Satoshi was instantly at her side. "I heard the sounds of battle, is he dead? He cannot be dead! He has to come back to me! I have to show him our son!"

Her eyes were glazed and dull, skittering around the room, never settling upon his face. Satoshi's heart broke as looked up and saw the solemn expression of the midwife, who was aggressively kneading Ane's abdomen. "She won't stop bleeding," the woman grunted. "I don't know how much longer she'll last. I'm sorry Satoshi-san."

The father's lips trembled as he bent over his only child, his world, the most precious treasure of all his wealth. "Ane," he whispered into her damp hair, "Your husband is fine, he is coming as fast as he can. He will be so proud to see the boy."

The tragically young woman grasped his hand with clammy fingers that were cool to the touch. "I did it, Otousan. He is such a beautiful child isn't he? He looks just like his sister…"

"He's perfect. Just like you, Love." The bed stopped rocking as the midwife stood, shoulders hunched in defeat. Satoshi didn't need to look at her to know.

"I'm tired Otousan, so, so tired," her grip was loosening and her voice was just a whisper now.

"Rest child. I will see to the children. They will want for nothing, I promise." Ane smiled softly as her gaze drifted over to the corner where her son waited for her to join him. A final bone deep sigh of pure contentment left her body, and her father sobbed without shame.

In the chaos of the battle's aftermath, as civilians poured out of their shelters and roamed over the city like ants, assessing the degree of their home's destruction, no one noticed the single horse and wagon that exited the destroyed gates. Just one older man and his granddaughter, with their few belongings hastily thrown into the simple conveyance slipped away into the creeping dusk, headed north along the abandoned roadway.

"Jiji," the child asked, looking over her shoulder at the only home she had ever known shrinking in the distance behind her, "where is mama?"

"She is gone, Nabi-chan. And we must leave as well."

"Are we ever going back?" She turned her opal gaze up to her grandfather's tired face, and he mused that he would have to do something about her eyes. _I might be able to find some glasses at the next town, until she is old enough for contacts._

"No, sweetheart. There is nothing left for us there." Satoshi was a man of many resources, and he would ensure that no one from the Leaf crossed paths with them ever again.

* * *

The white shirt slipped over his head, settling loosely around his hips and Naruto couldn't hold back a chuckle at his appearance in the traditional attire of a Hyuga guard. "I could have a lot of fun giving the council members heart attacks with this outfit, eh Hiro-san?"

The Branch maid swatted at him in mock scolding, but smiled at the tall man that was rapidly replacing the skinny boy she had first met that day amongst the laundry. Her children had now been grown and on their own for a while, and she had moved into Hizashi's residence upon Hinata's insistence when the girl had discovered that she was living all alone. Hiro couldn't argue, the comings and goings of the three Hyuga's kept things more than interesting, and the frequent presence of the young Uzumaki with his sunny personality was an added bonus.

"Just don't destroy them before you give them back, I have enough mending to do as it is," she said without malice and turned to see Hinata reappearing from her room where she had gone, also in search of a fresh change of clothes.

"Hey Hime, you feeling better now? I thought you'd never wake up!" Naruto threw an arm around her shoulders, inadvertently smacking her in the face with the draping sleeve.

Hinata cleared her throat harshly to drown out the noise of Hiro-san's chortling and valiantly tried to change the subject. "Naruto-kun, have you seen Neji-niisan, or Otousan?"

Scrunching up his face for a moment Naruto was quickly able to pinpoint the nearby presence of the two familiar chakras. "They're both over in the Main House with a bunch of other Hyuga. I think your grandfather and Hiashi are there too. Must have something to do with all the craziness that went down today."

The occurrence of a late night meeting made her heart uneasy and Hinata frowned in concern. A lot had happened today, the Invasion had made her little 'revelation' and oath after her victory seem like nothing more than child's play. Even so, guilt tugged at her conscience as she worried that her father and brother were possibly being punished for her words while she had been absent.

"Feel like practicing your recon skills?" she asked her teammate, who smirked and squeezed her shoulders, instantly performing a henge to complete the appearance of being a Hyuga.

"Does Ero-sennin like porn? Let's do it!"

They had little trouble slipping unnoticed into the crowded council chambers, where Hyugas were talking over one another in a display of uncharacteristic chaos. The two interlopers quickly located Neji who had found a place along the wall with a clear view of the head of the table where his father and grandfather were vainly trying to bring order to the meeting despite the raging accusations that were spewing from the Clan Head standing between them. Neji glanced at Hinata and then narrowed his eyes upon the unfamiliar boy following close behind her. Naruto grinned broadly back at him in a manner completely foreign to any Hyuga ever, and Neji simply rolled his eyes as recognition dawned. But instead of chastising the perpetual prankster, he simply gestured for them to remain silent, and refocused on the discussion at hand.

"She's lying! Bring her to me, I will ask her myself!" Hiashi seethed, his robes were still stained from the battle at the stadium, but he refused to allow the day to end without someone answering his question.

"I was not lying! Satoshi-san is gone, Hiashi-sama," the gravelly voice of the midwife split the room, as she stalked brazenly toward the Clan Head. "I stayed to tend to Ane-sama's body, as well as the child's, as is my duty. That was the last I saw of him." She jabbed a gnarled finger at his scowling face, "you should be mourning your wife and son, comforting your daughter, and reassuring your Clan. Not head hunting for the sake of your wounded pride!"

"Insolence!" Hiashi cried, as shocked murmurs rippled through the chamber at her shameless disrespect. "That _whore_ will not be acknowledged as my wife, her bastards were never my children, and you shall learn your place as well!" Bringing up his hand to form the sign that would activate her curse seal, Hiashi's arm was yanked down by his father.

"Enough Hiashi! Have you no self control? Leave her alone, we have bigger problems to address." But the Leader of the Hyuga refused to be placated.

"I shall say my piece! I am the Head of the Hyuga Clan. I am the harbinger of our success, and I will not be usurped by weaker fools who think they can betray me. You want me to settle my ire upon a more deserving criminal? So be it." His steely silver eyes glared at his brother, who merely returned the black look.

"If it is a fight you want, brother, you have only to ask," Hizashi growled. But Hiashi sneered, a better idea coming to mind. "Bring me _his_ children," he demanded.

Naruto immediately stepped in front of Hinata, completely blocking her from view with his broad shoulders, and simultaneously Neji began threading his way through the men in front of him, who had instantly turned to expose his position.

"No! Neji—"

"Shhh, Hime," Naruto hissed as she tried to get around him, but he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back into his chest, thankful that the Hyuga had been watching Neji and not seen her. "We will be more help if we are free to move around. C'mon there's a better view from the other side." Hinata swallowed the fear bubbling up within her chest as she followed Naruto with her feet and her Niisan with her eyes.

"You have no business with the boy, Hiashi!" Hiroto bellowed as he stamped his cane onto the wooden floorboards. "I did not raise you to be this kind of leader. Your anger will only bring you shame and soil the Hyuga name in the eyes of the village!"

"And what of the people within the walls of this compound?" Hiashi snapped, walking closer to his twin whose face was a mirror of his mounting fury. "Do I not deserve respect from them even more than from those who are outside? I AM THE HEAD OF THIS CLAN," his pale eyes flashed as he addressed Hizashi. "AND YOU WILL NOT FORGET THAT AGAIN."

Neji was almost at his father's side when he collapsed screaming to the floor of the chamber, the council members that were nearby quickly stepped away to avoid the writhing of his limbs. "Stop this Hiashi!" Hizashi fell to his knees and gripped his son's wrists, trying to keep the strong boy from gouging out his own eyes from the pain. "If it is my life you want, you can have it! Just spare my son! Leave my daughter alone! I will pay for my sins a thousand times over, but leave my children be!"

Naruto was nearly smothering Hinata with his hand to keep her screams from attracting the attention of the elders in front of them who were staring in morbid fascination at the senseless torture before them. _I have to get her out of here, if this is the future that awaits her I cannot leave her to this fucked up fate. I need to make a distraction, something that will stop that Asshole from frying Neji's brain, something like—_

The Gentle Fist palm strike that blasted into Hiashi's chest caught everyone off guard, even the unpredictable Naruto was blinking in shock. _That'll do._

Hiroto straightened up, the disappointment and outrage that fluctuated in his eyes like quicksilver causing all those who were gathered to fall silent as the Elder Head loomed over his wheezing son.

"I have seen enough. My mind is made up. You have been weighed on the scales of fate and been found wanting, Hiashi. And with Kami as my witness, I will right the wrongs that I have perpetuated." Hiroto turned to face the stunned council, his eyes resting on the small figure of the midwife, whose watery gaze did not flinch from his stern command, "Come Obaasan, it is time I confessed my transgressions."

Hiroto stood tall as he invoked the Act of Verity, wherein every elder of the council activated their Byakugan to hear the testimony of a Clan member who sought to prove his truth by testifying before them with his chakra on full display. It was an age old tradition dating back to the origins of the Hyuga, and carried a weight of reverence and honor that overruled the highest court of the land in the minds of the Clan.

Hiroto licked his lips, settling his cane squarely before him as he placed his hands atop its smooth knob. His hands clenched until the knuckles were blanching white as he began his attestation.

"On the night of their birth I was called to the birthing chambers by Obaasan. The first babe was stuck, my wife was running out of energy and Obaasan asked me to make a choice: save my wife or save my child." Hiroto looked down at Hizashi, where he still sat upon the floor with Neji blearily leaning on his shoulder. "Before I could gather my wits to answer her, my wife begged me to choose the babe, but I could not bear to follow her wishes. We could have more children, but no one could replace her in my eyes."

Hinata was barely breathing, and closed her eyes as tears ran down her face. Naruto was spellbound by the words as well, but wrapped an arm around her waist and held her tightly to him in an attempt to bolster her through the emotional declaration.

"The birth was…difficult," Hiroto's voice faltered as the memory of his wife's screams and the blood flashed through his mind. "When the boy finally was delivered, it was with his cord wrapped tightly around his neck and his twin brother clinging to his heel. Obaasan worked quickly, but while the younger babe cried heartily, the firstborn was limp and pale, and despite her vigorous efforts he refused to draw breath."

The midwife was now standing front and center, nodding her head in agreement and encouragement as she stood witness to Hiroto's story. "I had given up on the child, and turned to tend to my other son and wife, when I finally heard his cry." The Elder Clan Head paused, struggling to keep his expression from crumbling and he swallowed thickly. "It was weak, and he was still white as a ghost, but he was alive. I should have been grateful, should have counted myself blessed that Kami would see fit to give me two sons and allow me to keep my wife as well. But my fear of weakness tainted my thankfulness, and I made the greatest mistake of my life."

The man looked ages older than his years as he squared his shoulders. The eyes of every person widening as they anticipated his next words. "I, Hyuga Hiroto, forced the midwife to switch the birth order of the boys, under threat of activation of her seal should the secret ever be leaked. I feared that the trauma of his birth would render Hizashi deficient of mind and unable to properly perform the duties that were necessary to lead the Clan. I took his destiny away from him, and now I am forever in Kami's debt."

Hiroto's cold eyes locked onto the gaping visage of Hiashi, who was not believing his ears. "By birthright, by justice, and most importantly, by the worth of his character, Hizashi is the true Head of the Hyuga Clan, and Neji is his heir."

Shouts started to crescendo in the chamber when the midwife heartily declared her agreement with Hiroto's testimony and council members began calling out their demands.

"Brand Hiashi! This instant!"

"Hiroto is the one who should be punished!"

"Hizashi is not fit to be Head, he is branded with the cursed seal!"

"There is a way to remove the seal, but a current or former Clan Head must perform it himself."

"Such a thing has never been done! The Scroll with the seal is surely just a rumor."

"It is not!" Hiroto bellowed over the din of the council's cries. "The Reversal Seal for the Caged Bird Curse Mark is real. It is kept locked in the vault that is only accessible to the current and former unsealed Clan Heads." Naruto perked up at the mention of secret clan fuuinjutsu, and didn't notice the spilled cup of tea that had captured Hinata's attention.

"The only way to completely remove the Branch Mark is to activate and release a storage seal that contains a unique chakra said to belong to the one who originally created the array. The scroll containing this chakra seal is accessible only by the Head of the Clan, in order to ensure that the only Hyuga released from the Caged Bird Seal were those who had been specifically deemed worthy to guard their own lives and bloodline without the added protection the seal offered. The seal was meant to keep the Hyuga safe by deterring our enemies from trying to steal our eyes, our women, and our children. Over the years the purpose of the seal has morphed from being protective, to being a status symbol, to a means of punishment, and now under the mistreatment of leaders such as Hiashi, a form of slavery."

More murmurs filtered through the group as Hiroto continued, and Naruto didn't notice Hinata slip her arm out of his hold as he hung on to the man's every word. "There is only a finite amount of the unique chakra stored within the ancient scroll, but with the guidance of a benevolent mind such as Hizashi's, I believe we can move on as a Clan despite the separation of the two Houses."

Hysterical laughter bubbled up from the midst of the gathering, and all eyes locked onto the crazed face of Hiashi as he stumbled to his feet. "You fools," he cackled. "I destroyed that scroll as soon as I became Head. I knew Hizashi would try to take my position away from me one way or another, so I ensured that he, and all of his _spawn_ , would never be able to claim it." He spun to face his father, who stared in horror at the shameless act of hubris and malevolence Hiashi had casually admitted to committing. "I never would have thought it would be you who would steal my rank from beneath my feet, _Otousama_ ," he scoffed. "I guess this just leaves me with one option…"

With a clap of his hands Hiashi caught the whole of the stunned group off guard as he surged his chakra with a powerful fury that seared the Caged Bird Seal upon Hiroto's wrinkled forehead with the intensity of hell's fire. The semicircle of space that the council had created in order to have a clear view of the two Clan Heads, now hindered the ability of anyone present from reaching Hiashi and intervening before the jutsu could be completed. In the milliseconds that it had taken Hizashi to scramble to his feet, his father was already falling to the floor.

A pulse of concentrated chakra shot through the atmosphere, and Hiashi's head jerked, his neck snapping backwards from the force of an unseen impact. His body slammed into the wall, his silver eyes wide with shock as he slid slowly to the ground, smearing crimson down the expensive wallpaper. A thick line of blood trickled from a single small wound on the center of his forehead, tracing a path down between his eyes as they dulled into the blank stare of the dead.

One by one heads turned, tracing the trajectory of the imperceptible projectile that had assassinated Hyuga Hiashi. Their gazes fixated on the far side of the room, where Hinata stood rigid, her arm extended, index finger aimed in perfect accuracy with a droplet hovering over the fingertip, Byakugan blazing on her calm face, and an innocuous pool of spilled tea lying at her feet.

"The tyrant is gone," she stated into the heavy silence of everyone's stupefaction. "We are all branded now. The need to be unsealed is irrelevant." She stared solemnly at her father and her brother who were just as speechless as everyone else. "Let this be the beginning of a new era for the Hyuga. And may Hizashi-sama guide us to redemption."

* * *

Naruto slipped down the dark hallway, leaving Neji passed out in a coma-like deep sleep on his futon after the harrowing events of the day. Hizashi had yet to come home, wanting to stand vigil by his father's side as the Elder Clan Head's condition rapidly deteriorated from the violent application of the Caged Bird Seal. They all were spent, emotionally and physically, from the immense effort of survival.

Moving with the grace of a breeze whispering through the trees, he found the door to Hime's room and pressed his ear to the wooden panel. Hiro-san had insisted Naruto stay the night, and when he had seen the turmoil in Hime's eyes, he had readily agreed to remain close to his best friend in the aftermath of this stunning twist of destiny. But the futon on the floor of Neji's room wasn't close enough for him.

The cool night air seeped out from under her door and chilled his feet, she must have her window open again, she always hated to feel closed in, caged. Naruto could hear her breaths, shallow and quick, and worry tightened his chest, so he opened his senses to feel for her chakra.

Her chakra felt like a thick fog. Dense, heavy, and unsettled as it swirled through the air, refusing to precipitate and obscuring the world around it in a confusing blindfold of moisture. One could get lost in her aura without a light to lead the way. And he wanted nothing more than to illuminate the shadows of her worries with his warmth and hope.

Not wanting to alert Hiro-san of his midnight roaming, he refrained from calling out Hime's name, and instead pulsed his own chakra as he slid open her door to silently announce his presence. She was kneeling on her bed, chin resting on her folded arms that were crossed upon the open windowsill as her gaze stared out into the twinkling night that matched the hue of her flowing hair. Naruto paused, inexplicably breathless as he stared at her in the faint moonlight, silhouetted except for the gleam of her pale eyes. Swallowing the baffling feeling of butterflies in his stomach, he crawled up next to her on the blankets and leaned his back against the wall by her side, letting his head fall back against the ledge as he studied the way her bangs swished in the soft breeze, allowing the seal on her bare forehead to peek out from under the soft fringe. He waited.

"I thought it would feel different," she whispered, never taking her eyes off the cloudless sky. "Ever since I was a child, I always thought that everything would be so much easier if Hiashi would just…disappear. Things would hurt less. Decisions would be clearer. Obstacles would be smaller. Life would be, just, _better_. My soul could finally heal." Her pearly eyes closed and she sighed heavily. "I never thought I wanted revenge, I had convinced myself that I was too noble for that. I was seeking _justice_. But if I am perfectly honest with myself, there was always a small part of me that wanted him dead. Wanted him to suffer like he had made us all suffer. And now…"

Naruto reached over and pinched a lock of her hair between his fingers, twirling the fine silk around as he contemplated her words. "And now?"

"I feel…lost. The Hyuga are free, but not really. Hiashi had the last laugh, and now Otousan has inherited a Clan that is less of a family than ever before. The honor of the Main house lineage is forever tainted by Grandfather's lies, the Branch members are more bitter than ever, and the council will only bicker about ancient clan laws and how the Hyuga should proceed from now until the end of eternity." Hinata slumped down from the windowsill, twisting on the futon so that her back rested against the wall next to Naruto. The two sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

" 'The sins of the fathers are the sins of the sons,' " Naruto murmured. "I always hated that saying. I thought it was unfair for the burden of one generation's wrongs to be dumped on their children. But the fact is that some decisions are so far-reaching that they echo down through the ages, and will continue to do so unless someone stops the cycle." He lifted his arm and wrapped it around Hinata's shoulders, and she leaned heavily into his warm chest, her wet cheek pressing into his shoulder. "Today, you stopped the cycle. The Caged Bird Seal may still exist, but no one will use it the way Hiashi and Ane did ever again. The youngest generation of Hyuga will never know what it's like to be threatened with the punishment of having their minds destroyed. Councils will always bicker just like the sun will always rise. The Clan cannot become a family overnight, believe me, bonds are not always easily forged. But time can heal a lot of wounds, and you never give up, right?"

Hinata sniffled in response and Naruto pulled her closer to him, resting his chin on top of her dark head. She needed to cry, he would not rebuke her for mourning the imperfect fulfillment of her dreams. But that did not mean her hopes for the future had to die. There would always be trials on the road to revolution, and whatever obstacles she faced, he would proudly stand by her side. The moonlight slowly traced a path across the folds of the blanket as they allowed their drained hearts to be filled with each other's comfort. Eventually Hinata felt her body relax, her mind slow, and her soul once again find peace in the perfect presence of her best friend.

Just as she started to drift off, she felt him mumble something, the sound a low rumble in her ear. Lifting her head sleepily she could only manage to quirk a brow in question. His blue eyes danced in the darkness of the room as he pulled her down and arranged the blanket over them, immediately beginning to swirl his chakra into her body, mimicking the soothing comfort of her own technique that she had used to calm the nightmares that sometimes haunted his sleep. Hinata sighed in sheer contentment, gratefully allowing him to guide her into a desperately needed solid night of sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER 24**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

The early morning was as silent as the dead within the crypt as Hiashi placed the burning stick of incense in front of the _haka_ , bowing his head in reverence before rising to his feet. The thin wisp of smoke rose straight into the still air, not even the wind was breathing in this place of death. The framed portraits of Hiroto, Hiashi, Satoshi, Ane, Tadao, Hanabi, five other Hyuga shinobi, and two Hyuga Branch members lined the front of the stone where the Clan had been burying their ancestors for generations. Turning his back Hiashi smoothed the fine black robes that hung from his straight shoulders as he headed for the compound's exit.

At the gates he was met by Neji and Hinata, their somber attire and uncovered foreheads a mirror of his own. The Caged Bird Seal was no longer a symbol of servitude, but of _Hyuga_. They walked together in silence, too much had already been said over the last week as the village had laid their individual dead to rest, and performed their funeral rites. Today was a day to honor those who had been lost and that which they proudly sacrificed themselves to protect.

Naruto and Kakashi joined them wordlessly as they walked along the path to the familiar memorial stone, on which the list of shinobi names had lengthened considerably seven days ago. Sliding into place at his Hime's side, Naruto took her hand, and the touch brought them both comfort. Just as they passed the last building Sasuke stepped out of the shadows and fell into step with his teammates, his family.

Those assembled consisted of shinobi and civilians alike, all coming together to close this chapter of grieving with a memorial to the fallen, and a recognition of their appreciation for those who had survived to fight another day.

The newcomers walked down the rows of dark clothed attendees to the front of the gathered crowd where the Clan Leaders and active duty ninja stood tall and stern, tracing the freshly carved names of their comrades with their eyes.

Footsteps thud slowly up the platform and everyone raised their gaze in solemn reverence, hearts a mixture of mourning and anticipation. This was a moment of shifting tides and everyone seemed to sense it. After today, nothing would ever be the same.

He reached the middle of the platform and looked out over his beloved village, at least what—and who—was left of it. Chunks of the city walls were missing. Scaffolding surrounded many of the buildings where crews were struggling to rebuild as fast as possible. Out on the southern edge there was a whole swath of forest uprooted as a result of the jinchuriki battle that had taken place, many villagers had gone there to reap the wood for much needed repairs.

But trees regrow. Buildings can be fixed. Lives cannot be replaced.

_And yet, the Will of Fire burns on_. Hiruzen leaned heavily on his cane, ignoring his pain and refusing to grimace as he scanned the ranks of ninja before him with pride, and they looked up with admiration for their indelible leader.

"Today we gather to remember the sacrifice and heroism of the Shinobi of Konohagakure. Their loyalty and bravery never wavered in the face of battle, and we will honor their efforts with our own survival and faith, never allowing the things for which they gave their lives to dwindle into forgetfulness. Their Will of Fire burns brightly, and spreads down through our generations, casting its warmth over the cold night, and chasing the darkness out of our midst. We shinobi, will never cease to fight, to endure, to pursue the end of such a vicious cycle of war. And it is because of some of our newest chunin that we can once again claim Sunagakure as our ally." He turned and focused his gaze upon the row where the genin sat with their clans and families. A smile cracked his somber visage.

"The shinobi we honor here today have given their lives so that we might live in their stead. And we will justify their ultimate gift by not just living, but by living life _more abundantly_. The generations that follow in our footsteps will look back on us with pride for we will never cease in our endeavors to make Konoha a better place." He turned, and an assistant approached to stand by his side with three parcels in her arms.

"So now, it is with a heart full of thankfulness that I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure, will recognize the loyalty, bravery, and intelligence of our newest chunin, who have proven that they value the credo of the fallen." Some in the crowd wiped tears from their eyes as others smiled with trembling lips, a fervent hope for a better future on full display in the expressions of expectation on their faces.

"From the Uchiha Clan, Sasuke, Son of Fugaku. From the Hyuga Clan, Hinata, daughter of Hizashi. And from the Namikaze Clan, Naruto, son of Minato." The three teenagers filed up onto the temporary stage as murmurs rippled through the crowd. The aura of mourning and respect was the only thing that was keeping all out pandemonium from breaking loose. The poignant moment of the Last Uchiha taking his place alongside his slain forefathers; the fearless Branch kunoichi turned emancipator who had shown she had the guts to back up her brave words; and the village pariah who had known little more than scorn from his countrymen and yet put his life on the line in an altruistic display of strength to protect his people, and whose victory averted a potential war. But his name…

"Namikaze? Isn't that the same clan as the Yondaime?"

" 'Son of Minato'? As in _the_ Minato?"

"There must be a mistake, there is no way the Yondaime had a son."

"Wouldn't the Sandaime have told us The Yellow Flash had a son?"

"But the boy would have to be at least fifteen years…oh my Kami…"

"But that is the demon child, the Yondaime would never put such a curse on his own son! Would he?"

"I'll be damned, that hair, those eyes, he…he looks just like him."

"Have we really been so blind?"

The muffled gasps and whispers could be heard throughout the assembly as a familiar head of spiky blond hair the color of the sunshine itself stepped forward. A tall, strong but lean teenager dressed in the same navy shirt and shinobi attire of his father approached the Hokage as he grinned in the exact same unabashedly joyful manner of his mother. Reverently accepting the green vest with the large swirl of Uzushiogakure upon the back and returning the wink his Jiji gave him, Naruto easily slipped the weight of the heavy fabric over his shoulders, adjusting the tail of his red scarf over it. Facing the village who had once shunned him so completely, his undeniably Namikaze-blue eyes scanned the faces below. The excitement of the populace was palpable as he took in the varied emotions on their faces. Shock, awe, disbelief, and amongst the shinobi: respect.

The indisputable truth of his patriotism and his lineage was there for all to see in the set of his wide shoulders, the azure gleam of his eyes, the power of his skill, and the selfless bravery of his deeds.

The shocked murmurs of the gathered peoples built up into shouts of surprise, then cheers of delight as Hinata and Sasuke also stepped forward to stand on either side of the Namikaze heir who was the spitting image of his father. Realization began to set in and the people of Konoha filled the air with varied emotions of vocal outrage, surprise, and celebration of these newest bearers of the Will of Fire.

The people wept.

The shinobi endured.

Konohagakure _thrived_.

* * *

Hiruzen settled into his seat at the head of the council table and sighed deeply from the bottom of his soul. _One last time, then I can rest_.

There was no denying it, the Sandaime was done.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," he addressed the Clan Heads and Elder Advisors before him. His eyes scanned the faces of those in attendance, lingering on the newest addition, Hyuga Hizashi. The man was a welcome presence, his posture and bearing a stark contrast to the judgmental and closed off demeanor of his late brother.

"I would like to discuss two issues before I conclude this short meeting. First," a smile creased Hiruzen's face, "let us welcome the return of the Uchiha to the table. Sasuke, please, take your seat."

The Clan Heads turned in unison to see the teenager solemnly sweep into the room and hesitantly take the empty chair at the table, left vacant in honor of his clan ever since that dark day of their demise in anticipation of his promotion to chunin. "Well done, Sasuke," Hiruzen said warmly, and the newest Clan Head's eyes quickly closed as he nodded, lest any of the tears that choked his throat escape and bring him shame.

"Second," the God of Shinobi straightened in his chair, knowing his next words would be cause for quite the outbreak of 'discussion'. _But it is time, past time. My body is broken, my heart is old, I can support the Leaf better this way_. "I would like to formally submit my resignation as Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure and name my successor."

The Elders glanced at each other in mute understanding, this had been anticipated ever since his nearly fatal injuries at the hand of Orochimaru. Wasting no time Danzo gripped his cane and braced himself to stand.

"And I am nominating Senju Tsunade, The Slug Sannin, Granddaughter of Hashirama, and my student, to be the Godaime Hokage."

"Sarutobi-sama you cannot be serious? This isn't the middle of the Second War, you can't just pick a successor like Lord Second did. You have to—"

"I second the nomination," Nara Shikaku abruptly cut off Homura's angry rejection. The Elders scowled, Danzo's face hardened.

"All in favor…"

The chorus of "ayes" was overwhelming, even Sasuke swiftly cast his vote of acceptance, with a little encouragement in the form of Inuzuka Tsume kicking him under the table. The three Elders grunted out their "nays", refusing to assent even in the face of defeat. But they would not give in so easily.

"She has not set foot in the village for years. Rumor has it she is no more than a wandering gambler. How can you know she will even acquiesce to the call of her country?" Koharu snapped her question at the nearly smirking Hiruzen who was signing the scroll that would be sent to the Daimyo detailing the conclusions of this council meeting.

"Jiraiya has volunteered to go retrieve her. She will not deny the summons of her teammate and her people."

* * *

"Shit Sensei! You know she's gonna bail as soon as she even hears the sound of my footsteps right?!"

Hiruzen growled and pulled the Hokage hat off his head, plunking the thing that seemed to be getting heavier by the day onto his desk. "Then walk like a shinobi damnit, and do not let her escape. I have been too lenient with Tsunade out of pity for her broken heart, but we all must endure, and it is her time to join us." He rubbed his temples, willing his mind to overcome the ever-present ache of his newest injuries. The hot baths were calling his name and he wanted nothing more than to light up his pipe and relax in their soothing waters. He had spent the last of his afternoon discussing with Kakashi how to go about educating Sasuke on the finer details of acting as Uchiha Clan Head, despite his obvious lack of clan, and now he just wanted Jiraiya to suck it up and go already.

Jiraiya hung his head in dramatic exasperation, the problem wasn't his lack of stealth, but Tsunade's near instinctual ability to sense his presence and run the other way. He never had a problem finding her, he was a goddamned spymaster thank you very much, but catching her had never been a particularly successful endeavor for him…in more than one way. He needed a new approach, perhaps a distraction, a partner?

"I'll go if I can take the gaki with me. There are some things about his training that I want to polish, and we can do it on the road." Hiruzen lifted an eyebrow at the suggestion but thought it would not be a bad idea. The reaction of the village to the revelation of Naruto's lineage had been…mixed, to say the least. And the poor boy was struggling to assimilate the change in his status due to the widely varied receptions, ranging from those who would never trust "a demon", to others who could have cared less about his skills and immediately worshipped him based on his name alone.

"Very well, a change of scenery would be good for him," Hiruzen nodded. Before Jiraiya could leap out the window, a knock sounded at the door and the secretary showed a tired looking Hyuga Hizashi into the Hokage's office, who nodded respectfully to the Toad Sannin before turning to address his village leader.

"Hokage-sama, I apologize for interrupting with my abrupt arrival," Hizashi easily bowed in the perfect show of respect to his village leader, something that Hiashi had long ago deemed unnecessary.

"Nonsense, Jirayia was just leaving to attend to his mission of locating Tsunade," knowing of Hizashi's fondness for Naruto, Hiruzen added, "and we have decided to send Naruto-kun with him, he has endured a lot from the village, and I think he deserves a break from their scrutiny."

Hizashi's silver eyes slid over to Jiraiya as if contemplating something, and the older man shifted uncomfortably under the Clan Head's intense assessment. Seeming to come to a conclusion, the Hyuga once again solemnly addressed the Hokage.

"If it would be acceptable, please, send Hinata as well." The other two men blinked in surprise, and Hizashi continued. "It has to do with why I have come here; The Clan is…unsettled. The Council is struggling within itself and the former Branch House is already attempting to establish an informal hierarchy which will only further divide us. My head and hands are full and my nights are long with my efforts to maintain this fragile peace and prevent an all out collapse in the order of operations both inside and outside of the compound walls. Hinata has also found herself to be the object of much scrutiny after her role on 'that night'. I would feel better if she were to be safely occupied elsewhere for a while." At this the Clan Head's stoic manner sharpened into a father's threatening countenance, "I trust the Toad Sage will be nothing but _respectful_ in the presence of my daughter." Jiraiya swallowed hard at the small punch of killing intent Hizashi put behind his words.

Hiruzen huffed humorously at the veiled threat, knowing that with Naruto nearby not even a bijuu had a chance of laying a hand on Hinata, let alone a harmlessly perverted smut writer. Besides, she would be able to keep the boy and his godfather in line and on task better than the weight of any A-rank mission directive.

"Granted," the Hokage stood, hitching slightly as he straightened but managing to muffle the grunt of pain. _Kami, between me and that poor student of Gai's, Tsunade cannot get here quick enough._

"Come Hizashi, escort an old man home, and we can talk about ways to keep peace within the Hyuga."

* * *

The shadows, the darkness where secrets came out to stretch and play, where the revealing light of day could not cast its rays, that is where the slow steps of Shimura Danzo abruptly changed into the authoritative stomp of the merciless leader of Root. Anger accentuated the thump of his cane as he made his way into the underground realm of his own creation, where he was Kage and Kami to those under his rule. Once again he had been passed over, once again someone younger had been chosen, once again he had been insulted.

He had practically gift wrapped the damn Hokage for Orochimaru, but the Snake's greed for the Sharingan and his penchant for playing with his prey had allowed enough of an opportunity for the reformed Copy Nin to sweep in and save the day. Danzo scowled deeper, the memory of his failed attempt to lure the lost soul of Hatake Kakashi into his organization before the Yondaime had intervened and taken over the newly orphaned boy's care was another failure that had come back to haunt him. Too many elite ninja were slipping through his fingers; now with the public declaration of his heritage, the last slim thread of hope that the Namikaze brat could be coerced into Root was as good as gone.

And to make matters worse, he had all but lost his foothold within the Hyuga. Hiashi was by no means an ally, but his cutthroat view of politics had more than once seen the late Hyuga Clan Head casting his vote alongside Danzo's own and willingly trading secrets and favors for one another's mutual benefit. All of Danzo's intelligence was pointing to the fact that Hizashi was nothing like his brother, and already the internal conflict of the Hyuga was showing signs of a complete restructuring of hierarchy and policy. Danzo scowled as he thought about the rumors of potential anarchy that leaked from the normally stoic clan. They were weak right now, like a wounded and vulnerable animal that could be picked off before they healed and returned to the hunt. Without proper intervention, the powerful family could completely upset the function of Konoha.

Absently he flexed the fingers of his bandaged arm, the multiple Sharingan twitching from his agitated state. The last time a clan had tried to throw off its allotted role in society, they had nearly caused a civil war, one which Danzo personally credited himself with preventing. Hiruzen had never had the balls to do things the hard way, and the village had nearly paid dearly for his weakness when the traitorous Uchiha planned their coup d'etat. The damn seal that the Hyuga employed would not even lend itself to use in reigning in the potentially rogue clan, because all the unsealed users of the punishing jutsu were dead, and the younger generation had been thoroughly brainwashed as to the "evil nature" of the branding family tradition.

Entering his office Danzo scanned over the new reports from his various spies which were neatly stacked on the center of his desk. One in particular caught his eye. _Well, perhaps not all of them. Their bodies were never found?_

Within seconds of his summons, the pale skinned Root operative was kneeling in the pose of complete submission and respect that Danzo had literally beaten into all of his ninja. "Hai, Danzo-sama?" The dark head of hair never looked up from the floor as he addressed his leader.

"On the day of the Invasion, Hyuga Satoshi and Hyuga Hanabi disappeared, presumably killed as bystanders during the urban battles that took place in the streets. But their bodies have not been recovered. I have reason to believe that they have fled Konoha, taking with them the last unsealed Hyuga with knowledge of how to activate the Caged Bird Seal in the form of the late Ane-sama's daughter."

The teenager's hand snapped up to grab the scroll Danzo tossed to him, and the black emotionless eyes finally raised to meet the cold gaze of the only living human to whom he vowed loyalty. "Sai, your mission is to find them. Bring me the girl, and make sure no one ever sees the old man again. I want her for my own use."

"Hai, Danzo-sama."

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me." Naruto huffed in disgust and crossed his arms. He was tired. He was hungry. His hand ached from the chakra burns he'd accumulated by repeatedly practicing a one handed _Rasengan_. And if he had to listen to Ero-sennin whine one more time about all the damn "research" Hinata had thwarted him from conducting, Naruto was gonna slap a fuuinjutsu seal on the pervert's face. And now the old coot was trying to pass off that blond lush stumbling out of the casino as the Slug Sannin? "It's not even noon," he growled, his ears starting to turn red as the woman turned to unleash a stream of foul curses that had Hinata gasping in shock, revealing the boldly displayed kanji for "gamble" on the back of her green _haori_.

**Some things never change.**

Naruto blinked at the inner comment, _did Kyuubi just talk to me…willingly?_

The sudden appearance of a dark-haired young woman who looked to be a few years older than the two chunin caught the gawking group's attention. She was obviously distressed, and struggling to carry two traveling bags and a dressed up pig as she chased after the wildly weaving potential Godaime, shouting for the woman to turn around because their hotel was the other way.

"Maybe we could start with her? She seems to be more level headed," Hinata mused and started after the two women, Naruto scowled as he followed with Jiraiya tentatively bringing up the rear. _Shit, she's not exactly in a receptive mood right now,_ the Sannin frowned. _But when is she ever when it comes to me or the village?_

"Excuse me!" Hinata ran up to the younger woman, quickly bowing in her pristinely proper way. "My name is Hyuga Hinata, I am a shinobi from Konohagakure and my partners and I were looking for Senju Tsunade-sama. The village sent us to—"

"Konoha?" The green _haori_ whipped through the air as Tsunade abruptly did an about face and stormed into Hinata's personal bubble, scrutinizing her like bacteria under a microscope. Her bleary brown gaze raked up the younger kunoichi's frame causing Hinata to flush under the scrutiny but only stand taller and straighten her shoulders.

"Has the Leaf gotten so pathetic that they send a child to do their dirty work?" She sneered at the hardening eyes of the Hyuga. Behind the two women there was a low growling sound coming from Naruto, and Jiraiya was looking at the jinchuriki funny. Tsunade's companion tried to mediate by jumping in, "Tsunade-sama, they have traveled all this way, it must be important! Maybe we should—"

"Shut up Shizune!" The woman snapped, not even giving the woman a glance. Naruto growled louder, and Jiraiya took a large step backwards. "Give me one good reason why I should give a rat's ass about Konoha?" Tsunade hovered over Hinata, making her words as threatening as possible.

Hinata swore she could hear Naruto's knuckles popping as he clenched his fists and she rushed to continue before things got out of hand. "Tsunade-sama, there was an invasion. Many of our best shinobi were wounded, including the Hokage. You have been named the Godaime, and Konoha needs your help.…" her official sounding words trailed off as Tsunade's snorts and snickering increased into derisive laughter, finally bursting into full out guffaws.

"Stupid girl," Tsunade wheezed, "there is no way in hell I'm setting foot in that Kami-forsaken village again." The growling behind Hinata intensified into full on snarling. "And if that old man thinks for one second that I would ever want to be the next fool to put that stupid hat on my head he is more senile than I thought!" Tsunade jabbed a red painted finger nail into Hinata's chest, "And next time they want to try and bully me into a ridiculous position, tell them to send a _real_ woman to do the job." She punctuated her slurred statement with a squeeze of her own massive bosom for emphasis, causing Jiraiya to promptly pass out in a puddle of his own blood that Shizune was immediately scrambling to hide from her mentor's sight.

Before Hinata could close her gaping mouth and form words the sound of two trench knives being unsheathed and flooded with chakra came whizzing over her shoulder. "You plastered old coward!" Naruto yelled as he launched himself at a superbly annoyed Tsunade. In her inebriated state she only just barely managed to dodge his slashing wind chakra, but her green _haori_ was cleanly split straight through the kanji.

"You ruined my coat Brat!" Tsunade snarled as she tried to plant her unsteady feet on the street, but Naruto was remorseless as he turned to meet her with anger burning in his blue eyes.

"Your village was nearly destroyed, your teammate Orochimaru nearly killed your Sensei, there are people suffering in the hospital without the guidance of an expert medic nin, the highest honor of shinobi rank is being offered to you on a goddamned silver platter, and _you are worried about a fucking coat?!_ " Naruto's normally well controlled anger was slowly but surely boiling to the surface as his pupils turned into black slits and his whiskers began to darken.

**She always was a spoiled brat.** Naruto barely registered the unexpected commentary as he braced to attack once more.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Tsunade seethed, unfazed by the sharpening wind chakra that was starting to flicker with red across the serrated edge of the trench knives in Naruto's hands. "I am Senju Tsunade! I'm practically a fucking princess to those idiots back in Konoha. Idiots that have caused me more than my fair share of misery, and I'm done with them and their shit. So why don't you go home to your mama and ask her to read you a bedtime story about what a real fucking war is like, then you can come preach your patriotic sermons to me." As she was talking her chakra was pulsing in waves, and the bleary gleam of her eyes sharpened into a piercing fury of full lucency. "That was a hell of a good buzz you made me kill, boy. You're gonna pay for that."

With a hoarse war cry Naruto dove at Tsunade and the two began a fierce fight. Shadow clones quickly surrounded the Sannin, pushing her back towards the edge of the alley that they had stumbled into as her chakra covered hands stabbed and blocked their powerful slashes. Her dodge to the side had Naruto swinging at nothing but air and Tsunade reached around to flick the back of his skull with a single finger, sending the teenager tumbling head over heels into a wall with such force the thing nearly came down upon him.

"Stupid punk," she huffed. "You're nothing but another pawn. Another nameless shinobi in the system. A system that will never change." Suddenly in a burst of smoke the body of the blond kid disappeared and Tsunade's gut was telling her there was something very wrong. The ground shook beneath her feet and a chakra covered fist erupted from the earth to collide with her face so forcefully her body arched into the air and over the city wall three streets down the block.

By now Shizune had Jiraiya on his feet and was gaping at the fight. "He's really made her mad now," she fretted as she crammed another tissue up the recovering man's nose. "Is he going to be ok?"

"Don't worry about him, his head is hard enough to handle a few smacks," Jiraiya said in a nasal tone. Hinata had gathered up the two bags and the pig as she offered a tense smile to Shizune. "Naruto-kun can be very...protective, sometimes he forgets himself. Sorry if he seems disrespectful, he means well." Shizune hummed contemplatively as she followed the red-scarfed teenager with her eyes, _he has some serious guts to stand up to her like that_ , she thought.

Naruto leapt to the top of the wall, crouched like a feral animal as his now red-slitted eyes burned down upon the dazed woman with righteous indignation. "My service to Konoha, the protection of her people, MY PEOPLE, and the worth of my name are my highest honor as a shinobi! My pride is founded upon the justice of my principles, not the fame of my reputation." A venomous smile revealed his lengthening canines as Naruto watched Tsunade push her sleeves up and ball her fists for an all out brawl. "Someday I will become Hokage, and I will work to fix the broken system, not run and hide in a bottle of sake like a damn coward."

The Kyuubi within him was secretly grinning in delight at the way Naruto was laying down the law with the spoiled princess. Over his many years of imprisonment the Demon Fox had developed a special hatred for people who insisted on pitying themselves into a state of helplessness, and hearing Tsunade bitch about her life despite the ridiculous amount of freedom she had been afforded thoroughly pissed the jailed bijuu off. The chance to rile up the brat of his first container was something he'd always wanted to do, and with a voluntary wave of his powerful chakra, Naruto felt his stamina surge, _ehehe, alright Furball I feel ya, let's play_.

A massive _Rasengan_ streaked with demonic chakra effortlessly swirled to life in his hand as he leapt from the top of the wall down upon Tsunade. Faster than any jonin, she stomped her heel upon the ground, uprooting an enormous chunk of earth to use as a shield. Dirt and stones filled the air as the two collided, and once more shadow clones crowded the clearing. _The Rasengan and Kage bunshin? This kid isn't just some ordinary chunin after all. And that chakra, it feels familiar_ … Tsunade's thoughts were racing as she snatched the stones from the air and hurled them at the clones with the arm strength of a canon, all the while dancing back towards the edge of the forest, looking for higher ground.

Naruto allowed his clones to throw themselves at his opponent as he forced himself to pause and study her fighting style, fingers twitching in the loops of his trench knives. _Alright so, she's got a shit-ton of chakra and she ain't afraid to use it, a close range fighter, doesn't seem to prefer weapons_ , he winced as she uprooted an entire tree and began to swing it around in a murderous arc that eliminated a dozen clones. _Well, not normal weapons at least_...

Glancing around to gauge how far they'd distanced themselves from the village Naruto smirked as he bit his thumb. _Go big or go home, eh Kyuubi?_

" _Kuchiyose no jutsu_!"

Tsunade smashed the last clone into oblivion with her makeshift club as a shadow engulfed her from behind. Spinning around she was shocked to look up at one of the Toad Summons unsheathing his _sasumata_ as that brat knelt on his head. "Apparently Jiraiya has lost his standards in women _and_ shinobi if he let some young show-off sign the contract," she hollered up to the amphibian.

"Yo Ken-san!" Naruto jovially greeted his summon. " _Baa-chan_ here wants to disobey a direct order to return to the village, and thinks she can scare us away with her screeching. How about we offer her some persuasion?" His mocking tone held back nothing as he boldly provoked his opponent from his high perch.

"I will do my best," the deep voice rumbled with apprehension, "but I'm rather clumsy." In a show of grace directly contradicting his humble words the toad engaged Tsunade with his sword as she defended herself with her tree. The thick trunk was soon stripped of its branches as they parried slashes and she tossed it away, leaping toward the duo with chakra boosting her speed. Gamaken barely got his _sakazuki_ shield in place to block her, but was still sent skidding backwards from her powerful blow, digging two massive grooves into the earth with his webbed feet. Tsunade seized the moment and squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she bit her thumb and summoned her own partner.

Naruto recoiled slightly as the enormous slime covered white slug scooped Tsunade up onto her head. _Damn, and I thought the toads were kinda gross with all their warts and stuff. But seriously, how does that thing even fight?_

**You of all people should know never to underestimate an opponent based on their appearance.**

As if to punctuate the Kyuubi's scolding, acid spewed out of the slug's pinched mouth, and Naruto found himself clinging to Gamaken for dear life as they bounded around the meadow to avoid the burning liquid.

"Tsunade-hime," Katsuyu questioned in between attacks. "Why are we fighting The Leaf?"

"Because some idiots just don't know their place!" The Sannin snapped, trying to disguise how winded she was, she hadn't exactly been training regularly since, well, a while.

"Oh that's just rich coming from Konoha's number one hypothesis!" Naruto snapped angrily.

Tsunade and Katsuyu both froze in confusion at the ridiculous accusation. Down below Jiraiya face palmed in frustration. "Ugh, there goes my hopes of him ever inheriting my literary legacy." Hinata and Shizune sweat dropped as he shook a fist up at his godson. "It's HYPOCRITE you dumbass!"

"Shut up you Pervert!" The two blonds yelled in unison, but before they could ponder on the sudden alignment of their sentiments, Gamaken had used the pause in action to slice through Katsuyu's body. However instead of mortally wounding the invertebrate, she simply divided into two acid spewing opponents, making it doubly difficult to avoid her attacks.

"I'm sorry I'm so ungraceful," Gamaken grunted as he blocked another jet of burning acid, his shield was nearly ready to melt off his arm.

"No worries Ken-san! Just get me close, I have an idea!"

Tsunade watched the reckless idiot leap off the back of his summon just before the Toad dispersed back to Mt. Myoboku to avoid another wave of acid. She smirked, pulling back her fist to meet his trajectory, pumping a huge dose of chakra into her muscles and bones. She ignored the red and blue swirling _Rasengan_ that bloomed within the clawed hand of the snarling brat, focusing all of her attention on landing her bone crushing punishment.

Suddenly she was weightless, and the world tilted wrongly as she found herself staring at Katsuyu's white antenna, then blue sky, then green grass, then "OOF!"

Her mind was still struggling to understand her place in the world when she heard Katsuyu squeal and one of the slug's bodies poofed away as Naruto replaced himself with Tsunade's position on the summon's back and grazed her slimy skin with his _Rasengan_. He landed on his feet and immediately charged Tsunade while four clones set a fuuinjutsu barrier around the remaining slug.

Rage roared through her at being caught off guard by the simple _kawarimi_ and Tsunade held nothing back as she and a now fully fanged jinchuriki met in an all out brawl of fists and snarls.

"Give it up, punk, you're not good enough to beat a Sannin, and you'll never get me back in that village while there's breath in my body." Tsunade growled between punches.

"You don't deserve to call yourself a shinobi let alone a Sannin if you refuse to help your people when they call for you," Naruto barked as his red eyes flashed. "Looking the other way doesn't make the suffering disappear."

"Tough cookies! Suffering is the way of the world, I've learned to accept it and move on. I can't save everybody and neither can you!"

Naruto struggled to keep his temper from pushing him into a full blown bijuu rampage at the heartless words. "If my efforts only saved one life, then I would consider my sacrifices justified! For the sake of one human restored, I would celebrate the same as if I had saved the whole damn world. Humanity is not something you only bet on if the odds are in your favor. Every life is precious!" Tsunade's haughty expression oozed with condescension as she listened to his declarations, spurring Naruto to ramp up his verbal attack and intensify his swings. "And the popularity of your name doesn't make you too good to get your hands dirty!"

Within his cage the Kyuubi chuckled darkly as he saw beneath Tsunade's aloof anger and noted the way Naruto's words were worming into her mind, triggering the instinct of every medic to save the lost, restore the broken, and relieve their suffering. But her eyes hardened as she fought on, and the Immortal Demon scoffed at her callousness. **Humans. Always hiding behind their false faces and pride.**

"You don't get to judge me," Tsunade roared, unleashing a brutal volley of punches that even Naruto's nearly animal reflexes couldn't keep up with. She wasn't even seeing straight anymore, all she wanted was for him to shut his blabbering mouth and stop those words that hit too close to home, too close to that fragile bubble of guilt that she kept buried deep inside and drowned in liquor to forget. She just wanted to forget everything, forget them, forget the hurt, it wasn't worth it...

Her fist sunk deeply into Naruto's gut and his eyes bulged, the air rushed from his lungs and he coughed up a mouthful of blood straight into Tsunade's face before collapsing to his knees as the corners of his vision flickered.

Hinata rushed to his side, glad to have finally found an opening to intervene in the senseless fight between the two stubborn blonds. "Deep breaths," she coaxed him as she helped him to his feet. She threaded her chakra into his chest to try and get a sense of his injuries, but was surprised to feel the Kyuubi already spiking his own chakra within Naruto and accelerating her friend's healing. She raised an eyebrow in surprise at the Fox's quick aid but filed the realization away for later. Looking up into Naruto's eyes as they faded back to their normal sky blue, Hinata put on a stern expression and wiped his mouth with her sleeve. "Honestly Naruto-kun, your little ' _Talk no jutsus_ ' are starting to get a bit out of hand. First Gaara, now the Slug Sannin?"

Naruto managed to wheeze out a husky chuckle and his hand scratched at the back of his head. "Hey I had to break in the new vest somehow, what better way than a battle with a Sannin, dattebayo?" The sheepish laugh ended in a series of coughs and he leaned harder onto Hinata's shoulder as she wrapped an arm around his back. With a grimace Naruto took a few steadying breaths and raised his face to assess his opponent. What he saw left him speechless.

She was a mess. Huddled on the ground hugging herself tightly and hyperventilating as Shizune frantically wiped her face clean. The proud Princess of Konoha was nearly blubbering on the dirt, helpless as a child.

"Hemophobia," Jiraiya's voice said from behind them, and the two chunin looked at his unusually solemn face. In a few murmured words he told them of her past as they watched Shizune patiently coax her mentor out of her panic with soothing words and motherly touches, until Tsunade was lucid enough to weakly swat the younger woman's hands away.

"Tsunade-sama, please take some of the—"

"No. I'm fine now, I don't need that stuff, I can handle it. I just need a drink," Tsunade was shakily brushing the dirt off her thrashed coat, not making eye contact with anyone but the grass as she ignored Shizune's hand to stand on her own.

"Please, it'll help, you don't need anymore sake today. Just take one and you can lie down and sleep off the—"

"I said no dammit! Stop treating me like a nutcase, _I'm fine_. Just let me go relax at the bar and play a few rounds so I can put this shit behind me. If you want to help me then stop getting in my way!"

"There are no more bars!" Shizune hissed through clenched teeth. "The last one in the whole village just threw you out!"

"Tch," Tsunade blushed at the vocalization of her faults, her short temper already starting to reheat at the incessant nagging. "Then we're leaving! Grab TonTon, I don't want to be anywhere near these Leaf shinobi anymore."

But before she could storm off Hinata blocked her path, "There is no shame in fear, Tsunade-sama." Her soft but firm voice rang with a truth that the Sannin didn't want to see, and she pushed past the petite kunoichi. "There is no such thing as perfection," Hinata persisted, again placing herself in the way of the retreating woman. "Konoha did not ask you to be Godaime because you are perfect, they don't expect you to fix all their problems, the shinobi don't want to serve a celebrity. We want _you_. Your experience, your skills, your knowledge, your heart, these are the things that will make you a great Hokage." The two kunoichi stared at each other. One offering redemption, one contemplating the cost of her salvation.

"Hime," Jiraiya called, causing the other bystanders to blink in shock at the familiar endearment. "Please, for Sensei, for Dan, for Nawaki...for me." His tone softened as he stepped towards her reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Come home, Hime."

Just before his fingers brushed her sleeve Tsunade flinched away and walked faster towards the road, not even looking back as she barked over her shoulder, "Shizune! I said let's go!"

"No."

Black heeled sandals scuffed to a halt and a breeze blew her pigtails across her frozen back. "Excuse me?"

"I said...no." Shizune's voice shook as the tears rolled down her cheeks. "No more, Tsunade. I'm done. I'm done carrying your bags. I'm done chasing you out of bars. I'm done helping you escape your creditors. I'm done watching you drown yourself in sake instead of getting real help. I'm done holding your hair when you're too drunk to even channel chakra. I'm done hiding you from yourself. I'm done wasting years of my life on someone who doesn't cherish their own."

"Shizune..."

"I tried. Kami knows I've tried. It's killing me to watch you kill yourself. I miss them too dammit! But I cannot heal when I am always healing you!"

"Since when—"

"Since now." Shizune bent down and scooped up a silent TonTon and her bag. Her black eyes gleamed with her tears but her face was a masterpiece of strength and sympathy. "I'm going home, Tsunade. With or without you."

* * *

Tsunade watched the three of them walk down the road, Naruto and Hinata chatting animatedly around Shizune as she laughed at their antics. She laughed harder than Tsunade had seen her laugh in years. _How did I get so blind? How did I miss her suffering when she was right there all this time? Dan, I'm so sorry._

"Don't get lost over there," Jiraiya's warm voice pierced the downward spiral of her thoughts. "How about I fill you in on all the craziness you have missed? You know my spy network keeps me apprised of all the best gossip." He elbowed her cheekily, and she let a small smile crease her face at her old friend's never changing personality.

"Fine. Start with him," she nodded in the direction of the whiskered blond with the red scarf and the beaming grin. "There's no way in hell he's just a chunin with that kind of chakra and jutsu, and I can tell you've been training him. Seriously Jiraiya, I can't believe you'd just give away the Toad Contract to some kid."

Jiraiya smirked and she couldn't help but note the fatherly pride that lit up his face. "That 'kid' is my godson: the number one most unpredictable, hyperactive, knuckle-headed, jinchuriki of the _Kyuubi no Yoko_ ," he paused for dramatic effect as Tsunade raised a mildly incredulous eyebrow.

" _Namikaze_ Naruto!"

"WHAAAT?"


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**CHAPTER 25**

The headaches were getting worse. The pain always started at the back of his neck and crawled up into his brain to seemingly settle behind his eyes. The medic nin had given him a clean bill of health after his collapse on the day of the Invasion, but nonetheless the throbbing discomfort had been his near constant companion.

Sasuke massaged two fingers over his temples as he squinted in the half light of the dusty storage room. The meticulously arranged documents dating back to nearly the founding of Konoha filled the tall shelves of the forgotten corner of the massive Uchiha compound. Over the last two weeks since his teammates had left in search of the future Godaime, he had been studying scroll after scroll of clan records, and between the endless lines of script and the boring documentation of every damn chicken, child, and chore the Uchiha ever had, his inner monologue was starting to sound an awful lot like Shikamaru, _this is such a drag._

Kakashi had been helping him comb through the stacks of records, Sasuke had never realized how much time his Sensei had spent within the walls of the Uchiha District in his younger days. Something to do with a former teammate of his. The newest Clan Head glanced over to the area that held the shinobi records, wondering if there was some info on his mysteriously private sensei in them. _Maybe I could figure out where the hell he got that Sharingan from._

Taking his best guess at a time frame, Sasuke grabbed a few scrolls and activated his Sharingan, trying to skim them quickly so he could go back to his real studies. His gut clenched as he read the many names, his Clan had really been a force to be reckoned with once upon a time. Nearly every genin team had at least one Uchiha, and they had composed the entirety of the Police Force down to a man. It was so overwhelming to see what his family once had been, and know that he could never hope to bring them that same level of prestige again.

He paused over the name of his father, taking in the dates of his promotions, and the honorable titles and recognitions bestowed upon him by the village. Uchiha Fugaku had grown up in a violent era, even for a shinobi, and his nomination to chunin and jonin were both the result of field promotions made for valiant bravery in battle. _Otousan had already tested himself against a real enemy before I even graduated from the Academy._ Sasuke's neck tingled and he rubbed absently at the curse mark there as he pictured the harsh features of his father and the way he had been completely unimpressed by his younger son's abilities. _Otousan never looked at That Man in such a way. It wasn't fair how hard I tried and still he never saw me. And That Man never wanted to be seen, and yet was always the center of attention._

The ever-growing weight of guilt and anger that Sasuke carried like a ball and chain made his shoulders droop slightly as his thoughts strayed to That Man. Spending all this time in the archives, digging through his Clan's history, it was hard to ignore the ache of his soul as he felt the ghosts of his ancestors following him down the hallways, crying out to him to avenge their lives. _I am the Head of a Clan without a body. What good is a decapitated leader? All I can do is spout hollow words and plan for a revenge that seems to get further and further away as the days go by._ Sasuke had spent more time reading than training, and while he was locked up indoors creating a kink in his neck That Man was out there walking free, careless of the blood on his hands. Sasuke's Sharingan pulsed with his annoyance, and the ache in his neck intensified. _Too much damn reading._

Standing abruptly he turned to storm away to the training grounds and burn off some anger when his fading bloodline caught sight of something. A dusty box had been dismissively shoved against the wall where Sasuke had moved a pile of scrolls looking for other jutsu documents. With his Sharingan activated, a script that he was certain was not previously there appeared before him. _Otousan?_

Kneeling down, he slid the lid off the nondescript container, finding nothing but the memos and ledgers from his father's time as Clan Head. The handwriting was bold, the pressure exerted with each brush stroke as firm as the discipline of the one who wielded it. Even if he hadn't already known his father to be a strict, economical man it would be obvious to anyone who read his succinct words and plain language. Training forgotten, Sasuke rolled the paper across his palms, feeling a mixture of smug pride and inadequacy to be the successor of his father's role, yet another Uchiha in a long line of stoic leaders to represent…to represent what?

The Clan? _What Clan, they are all dead, or will be as soon as I can make it so._

The glory of the Uchiha name? _Soiled forever by That Man._

The talent of our superior doujutsu, feared across the nations? _My sensei's stolen eye is stronger than mine._

The power of an elite shinobi? _I am nowhere near as powerful as I want to be, as I need to be._

Frustrated anger throbbed through his heart, centering on the pulse in his neck, and he growled as he once more massaged the painful spot. _Forget this pointlessness_ , a voice hissed in the back of his head, _you are nothing but a puppet tied to Konoha's strings. A paper crown given to a false prince in hopes of gaining your loyalty, while they stifle your freedom. Real power cannot come at the head of that council table, but at the end of a sword. What would they say, what would they really think of The Last Uchiha if he were to test his own abilities?_

Sasuke stood abruptly, shoving the box of documents into the wall with enough force to crack its aged seams. Useless, all the words were useless to him, worthless to his real cause, a distraction from his one true goal. His mind was hazing over with red and he kicked the dilapidated container, only to freeze as the floorboards beneath the box, untouched by the dust of time, were exposed after years of obscurity. Sasuke's crimson eyes blinked in shock at the revealed seal, visible only to those with his near extinct kekkei genkai. _What the?_

Careful inspection showed it to be a blood seal with a formula similar to what Sasuke had only seen on a few top secret scrolls that were in the Hokage Library, where Kakashi had taken him a few days ago in search of some other Clan related documents. Adrenaline laced through his body and his heart rate sped up, would his clan really hide something so important that it was sealed in blood under a box of random nothingness? Hidden in plain sight, where no one would ever expect it, in a place only a Clan Head ever cared to visit? The pull on Sasuke's brain was nearly tangible, the voice practically gleeful in its coaxing, the desire to discover the secrets that were for his eyes only was painfully potent. _Open it Sasuke, it is your destiny._ A drop of blood was all it took, the seal's release was instantaneous, and Sasuke didn't hesitate to pull away the boards and hastily descend below the earth.

The darkness enveloped him like the embrace of a loved one welcoming him home. His breath hitched as the moist air of the earthen room filled his lungs, making the lightheaded feeling of his brain sharpen into an anticipation so keen he could taste it. It was practically instinctual to spot the torch along the wall and light it with a small _katon_ jutsu, this place was made for him, by his own people. The space was not large, it was obviously meant for storage and not for dwelling, the presence of a large chest and smaller box solidifying this observation.

Another bite of his thumb and a smear of his blood sent the sealed container glowing as it popped open. _Otousan, did you know I would be the one standing here someday? Was this meant for me, or for That Man? Can you see me?_ Sasuke's thoughts tumbled over one another as chaotically as his emotions when he lifted the lid and gazed upon the precious objects that had been so carefully hidden away.

Battle armor; blood red as the Sharingan, its numerous plates polished to a gleaming shine. The style was obviously meant to reckon back to the glory days of the warring states era, when the Uchiha and the Senju reigned as the undisputed powerhouses of the shinobi world. The full regalia was that of a high ranking officer, a Clan Head, with the _uchiwa_ fan emblazoned on the back, leaving no doubt as to whom this masterpiece of warfare was meant to be worn by. Sasuke ran his finger over the textured metal, the smooth plates punctuated by small sharp spikes along the shoulders and all the numerous joints meticulously tied with well oiled leather. Just to brush against this warrior would cause injury, and the elaborate design would not hinder his swift movements. It was magnificent. _This is not just a showpiece, it is battle ready even all these years later. What was his intention for such a thing?_

Next to the armor the handle of a wrapped chokuto caught Sasuke's eye, and his heart leapt into his throat as he reached out for the weapon. _I didn't know Otousan used a sword,_ he thought as he deftly untied the leather strap, revealing the unearthly metallic reflection of a breathtaking blade. His fingers trembled as he grasped the hilt, the end was a large oval of the _uchiwa_ fan, the leather wrapped handle provided the perfect amount of friction against his skin, the bronze guard was carved with the kanji for "Fire, Vision, Power" the trifecta of what it meant to be Uchiha. Laying it across his fingertip, Sasuke smirked at the perfect balance of its weight, this weapon was not only beautiful, but it was perfectly made, perfectly deadly. With a snap of his wrist he tossed it into the air, snatching it neatly and taking a few swift practice slashes. The whirr of the air sliding around the shaft made his skin crawl with goosebumps, _this metal, could it be…_

A pulse of chakra and the entirety of the cavern was crackling with twisting bolts of electricity, and the growing feeling of power in Sasuke's soul burst forth from him. He started to chuckle, then out right laugh as he sharpened his control and the chakra coating the blade transformed it into a massive executioner of godlike potential. _This is a weapon worthy of a Clan Head, worthy of an Uchiha. With this I could defeat That Man._ Cutting off his chakra, he slid his fingers along the metal's cool surface as he smoothly returned it to its sheath. Painted on the side of it with a vibrant crimson ink that matched Sasuke's pulsing eyes was the sword's name: _Fukushu-sha_. Avenger.

He gaped at the writing, how was this possible? How did they know that he would find this, that he would need these things to justify them, that his closely guarded inner dream would have a name, and that name be given to the tool of his destiny? _This is my destiny, this is my fate. I have forgotten myself, I've gotten soft in this village. I need to increase my power, increase my jutsu, increase my sight, I need to find That Man…_

Returning to the chest Sasuke carefully strapped the sword to his waist before kneeling in front of the smaller box that had his father's name along the top. Inside were several scrolls that contained notes of meetings never meant to be known beyond the boundaries of these earthen walls. A journal of sorts that held the righteous indignation of a Clan Head that saw his people being slowly but surely pushed to the edges of society, who's every political aspiration was cut off from his reach, who refused to accept the second rate respect being given to a founding clan of Konoha, who would never allow the insults to be ignored, who would seek justice, seek strength, seek the power that was their birthright, their destiny, the undeniable authority of the Sharingan would never be dismissed again!

As he lost himself in the rage of his father's manifesto, Sasuke never noticed the spreading black pattern that seeped from the curse mark on his neck.

* * *

"Now that he's a Clan Head, how long do you think it will be before he takes a wife?"

"He'll be sixteen by the end of the year, a bit young perhaps, but he needs to get on it if he's going to restore his Clan!"

The giggling gossip of the two women faded as they walked past the small bench where Uchiha Itachi was enjoying his dango alongside his partner. The rogue nin's mouth froze mid chew as his intelligent mind quickly connected the dots. _So he did make chunin, despite the Invasion, and now he is officially Clan Head. Good, that should put him well out of Danzo's reach._

Kisame shifted next to him on the wooden bench, masking the fidgeting of his sword with his own restless movements. "Itachi, Samehada is getting bored, perhaps it is time we resumed our search for the target?"

"Hn." If Itachi had been a more expressive man he would have frowned. His mind was rapidly analyzing this change of status for his little brother, and one particular aspect was especially worrisome. _As Clan Head, he will be able to release all the seals and gain access to every secret the Uchiha ever guarded, including Otousan's plans. I have to stop him before he learns the truth…_

Sliding soundlessly to his feet, Itachi focused his gaze upon the distant rooftops of the massive Uchiha District, his former home, and braced to face his ghosts once more. At night they haunted his dreams, and today it would seem he would have to walk amongst them.

"Kisame, I must see to something. Please continue, and I will rejoin you when I have finished." None of the milling crowd noticed the small flock of crows that suddenly took to the sky and flew for the forgotten district. Kisame shrugged to himself as he shouldered his massive sword. Itachi was a private man who always followed through on his word, so what business was it of his that the guy had a stop to make in his former hometown? _Ehehe, I hope she's pretty._ He smirked as he tossed a few coins onto the table and headed down towards the walkways by the riverbanks to scan for the one particular chakra signature that Leader-sama was so keen to capture.

* * *

Slipping past the specters of his family that reached out of the shadows to lay a hand on their executioner, Itachi forced his sharp mind to ignore the weight of his sins as his Sharingan traced the familiar chakra signature of his Otouto. _No, please tell me I'm not too late!_

Charging down the underground tunnel that he had known existed but never actually found, he didn't pause to take in the sight of the armor and the open chest before pushing through a hidden doorway to another narrower corridor that he estimated would place him underneath the shrine. The sight that greeted him seized his scarred heart with fear.

Sasuke was standing before a large stone, engraved by the hand of an ancient being with stories that most believed to be nothing more than legend and lore. Itachi's three tomoed Sharingan whirled to the Mangekyo practically against his will in the presence of such a sacred relic, and he recoiled at the messages inscribed upon it.

Domination. Divinity. Destiny.

The sentiments of the inscription were clear, and corrupted. These were the stories that created the spark that had nearly ignited a war meant to divide a nation, and conquer the world, had Itachi not sacrificed his soul to stop the Uchiha, to stop his father, from following such a twisted doctrine. A fate he had risked everything to save his little brother from. A fate he wanted to take to his grave.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?" Itachi's tone was cold, his words clipped as he tried to gauge his brother's reaction to whatever he may have learned.

"Fulfilling my destiny. And yet, I still feel that there is some detail missing." Sasuke didn't turn, but his hand played with the hilt of a sword Itachi had never seen before, a weapon of such obvious value that he knew it was more than just a simple blade for a chunin. "Who was it, brother?" Sasuke asked in a flat voice.

Itachi didn't answer, his gut was telling him what his heart refused to believe, something was very wrong. Sasuke's chakra felt off, still uniquely his, but twisted somehow. As his little brother turned to show his profile, the answer became painfully obvious as to why.

Black markings marred the maturing face of his innocent baby brother. The eyes that had once gazed up at him with unadulterated admiration burned with hatred. _Good, hate me Sasuke. Focus on me. Forget the rest, kill me and end both of our suffering, so you can move on in honor with the Uchiha name._

"Who was it who told you to slaughter our family?" The sword hissed as Sasuke pulled it from its sheath. "Was it the council? The Sandaime? The Hyuga? The Daimyo?" He turned to face That Man, the walking embodiment of genocide to the entire Uchiha people, his personal nightmare, his greatest heartbreak, his brother.

"You insult me if you think I would need their permission to accomplish my own purposes," Itachi allowed a modicum of anger to threaten his words, hoping to make Sasuke doubt his assumptions and believe that his brother had acted alone.

The Clan Head chuckled mirthlessly as he pushed chakra into his eyes, activating his blood red glare to reveal that a third tomoe had been added to his bloodline. "You told me that only with enough hatred would I ever be able to overpower you," Sasuke grinned and flooded his blade with electricity, and Itachi gritted his teeth. "Well _Niisan_ ," he sneered as he spit out the old endearment, "I have plenty of hatred, _years_ of hatred, and now you shall see what I can accomplish."

As black markings covered Sasuke's entire body he snarled and drilled Itachi with enough killing intent to bring a jonin to his knees. Itachi frowned, the only outward showing of his internal dismay at this hiccup in his well laid plans. He hadn't wanted to use this jutsu on his brother again, especially not to its full potential, but it would seem he had no choice. Sasuke's mind was poisoned with the same power hungry greed of their father and the Clan, and Itachi could not allow this to perpetuate. If only Sasuke had been a more unbiased person, he might have been able to see their father for what he really was: a stubborn man who craved recognition to feed his pride, a heartless conscience that refused to acknowledge the value of another's existence as equal to his own. But Sasuke had always been desperate for attention himself, inheriting their father's need for self affirmation in order to feel loved, to feel accepted. Itachi had hoped that he and Sasuke's teammates had been able to engrain in his little brother's fragile mind that there was another way to feel fulfillment through the bonds created with close friends and the support of the village. But alas, the lesson seemed to have been easily forgotten in the blinding rage that now gripped Sasuke's body and soul.

"Foolish little brother," Itachi murmured as his Mangekyo focused on Sasuke's delirious fury. "I will remind you what true hatred really is."

* * *

Kakashi had a hunch. Something was going to happen. He had no idea why he got these hunches, just call it a sixth sense. Perhaps he had picked it up from spending so much time with his Ninken? He had checked the mission rosters, poked about the Hokage tower, loitered near the front gate, perused the training grounds, even 'happened' to meander by the Hyuga compound. But everything seemed to be as it should, nothing was amiss, and yet this feeling…

Deciding to show up early for his meeting with his little Clan Head in training and enjoy the look of shock on his face when his sensei wasn't an hour late, Kakashi took to the rooftops heading in the direction of the Uchiha District. Mid-air over an apartment building that nagging feeling in his gut suddenly exploded into a full on red alert and a split second later he felt the undeniable chakra of not one, but two powerful Uchiha. A shinobi never forgot a partner, and Kakashi would know that unique chakra anywhere. _Shit, why is he here!?_

Within seconds Kakashi was navigating his way through the narrow streets of the Uchiha District, his familiarity making his path efficient as he flipped up his headband and his Sharingan flared to life. The blinding chakra trail was impossible to miss, _he hasn't been here long. Hopefully I'm not too late._

The trail disappeared in a winding pattern into the main section of the council buildings, and Kakashi paused atop an electric pole, tracing the weaving trail to pinpoint the end and skip the maze of hallways. _The Shrine? Why would they fight there, in such a sacred place? And why don't I hear the sounds of a battle?_

He darted into the shrine, one of the few places he had never been allowed to visit with Obito, and immediately noted the hollow sound of his steps and the heavy oppression that filled the air when powerful shinobi poured chakra into a massive jutsu. At this point Kakashi didn't care if he was heard, he just wanted to interfere, to save his student. A _Chidori_ effortlessly crackled at his fingertips as he smashed through the tatami mats and braced for the anticipated fall into the chamber underneath the floor. Even with the cloud of dust his Sharingan easily pinpointed the chakra of the two brothers. Sasuke's was frozen, as bright as ever, but seemingly in a state of stasis, and Kakashi rushed to his side.

"Its called _Tsukuyomi_ ," Itachi's flat voice echoed in the earthen chamber. The arrogant bastard wasn't even slightly worried about Kakashi's presence.

"You cannot take him away," the sensei snarled, turning to face his former partner and placing himself in front of Sasuke's catatonic body. Itachi ignored the command, wiping away the blood that trailed down his right cheek as if nothing was wrong.

"I don't want him, it is another I have come for, the jinchuriki."

Kakashi barely hid his surprise and alarm at this bit of news, and the ease with which Itachi had offered up the information. "He isn't in the village, is that why you have decided to entertain yourself by further torturing your only kin?" He was intentionally baiting the older brother, though he knew it would most likely be useless, even as a young shinobi the man had ice running through his veins.

"I see," the rogue nin shifted as if to leave, the slightest of smirks crossing his lips. "Sasuke will recover when the jutsu has run its course, do not fret Senpai."

"Do not mock my care for those under my protection! Once upon a time you enjoyed the same privilege before you abandoned the village." Kakashi hissed as he surreptitiously attempted to sink earth clones into the dirt around Itachi and surround him. But even with his doujutsu dripping blood Itachi spotted the maneuver, immediately transporting to the opposite side of the room.

"Tsk tsk, Senpai," he murmured as he raised two fingers to point accusingly at Kakashi's scowling face. "Have you forgotten that _Shunshin no Shisui_ was my cousin? It seems you need to be reminded of what really happened in the past…"

Despite having carefully avoided direct eye contact with the Mangekyo wielding Uchiha, Kakashi suddenly felt his body lose all feeling as the world went red.

Once he was certain that both shinobi were securely trapped in his genjutsu, Itachi allowed himself to cough freely after stifling the urge for so long. He gasped for air but was relieved that there was no blood on his fingers…this time.

He walked over to his brother, taking the time to study his features at a closer range, he hadn't been able to appreciate this face since the boy was just a child. He was tall, nearly as tall as himself, and his face had lost that cherubic roundness. _He favors Okaasan in his features_ , he thought, noting the long straight nose and fine dark brows. _But his mouth, that firm set of his jaw, definitely Otousan there_. Itachi's heart sank as he once again prayed to Kami that if there was any mercy left for a transgressor such as himself, his jutsu would be enough to redirect his brother's path onto the straight and narrow.

His gaze fell to where the tall Uchiha style collar slouched to reveal the black curse mark into which the ugly black markings had retreated when he had subdued Sasuke's chakra with the _Tsukuyomi_ , and Itachi immediately recognized the traces of foreign chakra it leaked. A shinobi never forgets a partner, even if it was Akatsuki.

After sealing off the tunnel, he emerged into the misleadingly cheerful sunshine, pondering what The Snake would want with his brother. _Nothing good. I will have to investigate this further._

"Yo, Itachi!" Kisame's loud voice accompanied the thud of his landing as he arrived into the small courtyard outside the Uchiha Shrine. "The jinchuriki is out of the village with that Toad Sage, and the ANBU have been alerted to us. Time to leave."

The distant cries of challenge for the sake of honor and youth echoed over the empty buildings.

"Like NOW, Itachi," Kisame growled as the stoic Uchiha registered the identity of the owner of such 'youthful' sentiments. "They got some super freak in green spandex headed our way. Between his speed and his outfit I can hardly look at the guy, and Samehada wants nothing to do with him. Lets GO!"

By the time the ANBU infiltrated the walkways of the formerly forbidden area, there was nothing left but two frozen Leaf Shinobi hidden in an empty chamber beneath the shrine. The pair were quickly transported to the hospital but nothing more was found of the invaders.

* * *

Kabuto slid the door of the cell shut, tucking the stethoscope back into his pocket as he headed for his office with the vial of blood he had retrieved from his reluctant patient. Hana-san was rather dense for a Hyuga, a pretty face without much behind it. So far, since the day of the Invasion, he had been able to convince her that she was in an elaborate wing of the hospital under heavy security due to the imminent threat the Leaf faced. It was all for the sake of her child, the potential heir that Hiashi had always dreamed of obtaining. There were threads of truth woven into the fabric of his charade, and the improbable scenario had been accepted by the young woman in its entirety. _Hopefully the child will inherit Hiashi's brains_ , he snickered to himself as he entered the lab and dropped off the blood sample.

"Karin, process this specimen from the Hyuga woman. I want to ensure she and the child are kept in pristine health. We cannot afford any risk to this precious treasure." The red headed woman grunted her response, not bothering to lift her head from her stack of paperwork, withholding her sigh until Kabuto had exited the room. _Kami I hate this place_ , she groaned internally as she reached for the vial of blood. She hated the fact that the 'precious treasure' which the twisted medic referred to, was not the life that grew within the woman's womb, but the kekkei genkai that the monster and his Master sought to possess. In the years since she had willingly joined Orochimaru as a child, lost and alone in the world, she had come to understand that the motives which drove his need to 'rescue' the orphans in possession of unusual talents were not rooted in the sympathetic nature he had falsely portrayed.

Her hands went through the motions of inserting the specimen into the complex architecture of the lab equipment with a robotic lack of enthusiasm. Trying not to think of the young mother as she methodically processed the data, Karin couldn't help but feel sick with pity for the future child. She knew there was little chance of the woman being able to keep her baby, and the thought broke Karin's heart. The loss of her own mother was one of the lowest points in her life. When her last protector had been taken away, leaving her vulnerable to the machinations of the shinobi world. All because of their kekkei genkai.

And here she was, doing the same thing.

She didn't hear the beeping of the machine as it completed its analysis, her thoughts were lost in her own self pity, wishing she was strong enough to leave, to escape, to free the ones also enslaved here. If only there was someone else who shared her sympathy, who had even a modicum of human decency…

"Karin, are those reports done yet?" Kabuto's voice crackled over an intercom by her head.

"Almost, hold on to your damn panties!" She snarled at the speaker, which merely clicked dead in response. It was only by putting such intense effort into her anger that she was able to endure the sadness. So she had long ago embraced her fire, surrounding her fragile inner child with a protective ring of spite, lest her soul crumple into paralyzing grief. With the things she saw, the work she was forced to do, the feelings she had to bury…the anger was so much safer than the guilt.

The metal chair scraped on the white tiled floor as she snatched up the papers from the machine and adjusted her glasses, donning the mask of a heartless survivor to hide the broken remnant that was her truth. Karin sometimes wondered why she even bothered to get out of bed everyday. Her existence only served to increase the suffering of others, a blasphemy upon her bloodline gift as a healer.

But as she passed the cell that served as the 'hospital room' of Hyuga Hana, and involuntarily glanced through the small window, something in her heart told her to persevere. Perhaps, if she stayed vigilant, there was a chance that she could finally make a difference, even if just a small one. Maybe all hope was not lost, and better days could possibly lay ahead?

Yet who was she kidding? It's not like the savior of the world was gonna waltz through those doors one day and slaughter those bastards and redeem them all.

But a girl could dream.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This chapter contains graphic descriptions of violence.**

Chapter 26

The seasons had turned once more and the full sunlight announcing summer's beginning warmed their backs as Hinata listened suspiciously to her best friend try to spit out whatever issue it was that plagued his mind. Apparently it was important, because he kept dancing around the heart of the subject while repeatedly shooting her cheesy grins and scratching his cheek like he did whenever he got nervous.

"I mean, don't get me wrong Hime," Naruto continued as he followed Hinata down the last stretch of dirt road before the large gates of Konoha appeared. "I think it's super awesome that Shizune-neechan is teaching you healing jutsu. I mean your Byakugan was practically built for seeing inside of bodies." She raised an eyebrow at this undignified description of her universally revered bloodline, and Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat before plunging on. "And that Hundred Healings thing Baa-chan showed you sounds really badass, and I know you'll have that all wrapped up in way less than the years and years that the Old Bat said it would take," he jerked a thumb back at the future Godaime who was scowling as she stalked along the road, looking like she would bolt at the drop of a hat if she wasn't flanked by Jiraiya and Shizune. "But about the monstrous chakra strength, it's kinda, well, it's not that I don't like it. I actually really _really_ like it, watching you obliterate that tree back there was, just, wow. I mean, it kinda made me lightheaded seeing you tear that one log to pieces with your bare hands. And then I got this funny feeling in my stomach, like I'd eaten butterflies or some shit—"

Hinata slapped a hand over Naruto's mouth, blushing faintly at his awkward analogy of some emotion she wasn't sure she could even put a name to and tried to bring him back on point. "Naruto-kun you're rambling."

"Oh sorry, I swear I meant it in a good way! It's just so hard to explain, you know? Just like when you did that scream right as you destroyed that other boulder, all these tingles went down my spine and hit my gut like a ton of bricks...like that time I had food poisoning, but way better. Weird huh?"

Hinata gulped hard and simply nodded, unable to form words with her own confused emotions. The chakra based jutsus the two women had been showing her were right up her alley with her natural Hyuga proclivity to fine chakra control and the years she'd spent training with the chakra manipulation based taijutsu moves of the Gentle Fist. And the enamored way Naruto had been staring at her while she practiced the new moves had been rather intoxicating if she was honest. She didn't really want to give that up, and hoped that whatever was bothering him didn't require her to cease enjoying his attention.

"Maybe it has to do with all the chakra in the air?" Naruto mumbled distractedly, still trying to puzzle out the strange feelings he got watching Hime rain power through her new jutsu. His face scrunched up as he tried to put the oddly pleasant sensation into words, which seemed especially difficult when he analyzed the way Hinata affected him, she was scary but fantastic at the same time. It was just breathtaking to see her body arch as she unleashed each blast of chakra. And the _sounds_ she made...

An overly aggressive cough from the subject of his musings had him coming back to earth. "Oh, right. Anyways, I just have one tiny request," he held up his pinched fingers, wanting to minimize his words. "Can we not use my shadow clones as test subjects? I know that mental toughness is key for a shinobi and all, but the last two groups of _kage bunshin_ committed 'clonicide' as soon as they laid eyes on you."

" 'Clonicide'? Now you're just being dramatic." Hinata pouted.

Naruto gave her a flat look of disbelief and raised his hands with fingers crossed. A small pop and a clone appeared, saluting him sarcastically. "Yo Boss! What's—SWEET KAMI NOT AGAIN!" And it instantly dispelled.

"That's just one," Hinata huffed as she crossed her arms. Sparring with the clones was the best practice she'd had over the last three weeks, way better than leveling the forest. The look of fear in their eyes was totally not addicting. Nope. Not at all.

Five more clones were summoned and all instantly dispelled one after another with responses varying from "Fuck no," to "Not for all the ramen in Konoha." After the last one merely screamed like a girl before cowering until he disappeared, Hinata forced a snickering Naruto's hands down and grumbled, "Fine, fine. Your multiple mental psyches are all pansies, I get it. Killjoy."

"Oi, it hurts ok? Even the second hand experience is...something else..."

**I'm not sure I can abide within such a weak container** , Naruto heard the Kyuubi mock him, again. As proud as he was of the increased interaction, the humiliating inner commentary wasn't always appreciated. _Easy for you to say! You're not the one being forced to endure having your liver turned into meat paste over and over again!_ **Stupid brat, you know you like it.**

Naruto was too busy fighting back an inexplicable blush at the demon's puzzling yet disturbingly accurate assessment that he didn't realize they had arrived at the village gates until the two chunin guards leapt to attention and called out to the small group.

"Tsunade-sama! You're here! Please hurry to the hospital, the Hokage has requested you meet him there as soon as possible!"

* * *

Naruto burst into the hospital room with such force the door banged into the wall, but Sasuke's unconscious body didn't even flinch, nor did the pink haired kunoichi whose green glowing hands hovered over his temples.

"Uh, Sakura," Naruto glared at her, "using mind control to twist his dreams into fantasies about yourself is not gonna make him fall in love with you."

She growled threateningly but the healing chakra remained steady. "It's not mind control Dumbass, it's a special genjutsu to help him heal and remain peaceful. He's been suffering from horrific nightmares the entire time he's been here." Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he approached the bed his teammate laid on, making room for Hinata and Shizune to join him. Hinata quickly introduced Shizune to Sakura, explaining that she had come to assess the damage done to Sasuke while Tsunade had gone to see their Sensei. Naruto had a feeling he knew where Jiraiya had snuck off to, but at the moment was more concerned with his teammate.

"A genjutsu?" Shizune asked, observing the way Sakura's chakra never flickered despite the distraction the group was giving her. "Using genjutsu to heal the brain?"

"Miinnnddd controoolll," Naruto hissed dramatically, but Hinata elbowed him into silence, despite her having to bite her lip to control her smile.

"Yes, I came up with it myself," Sakura explained without taking her eyes off her patient. "I apply the genjutsu to create positive imagery while stimulating the dopamine and serotonin in his brain to boost the neurotransmitters back into balance." She sighed as she straightened and the green glow faded from her hands. "I got the idea from the medical textbooks I've been reading, but it's just experimental at best."

"That's very impressive, something I would expect from a Yamanaka. What's your name?" Shizune inquired as she performed her own appraisal of the results of the new therapy.

"Haruno Sakura, I've been volunteering here at the hospital ever since the invasion and in return the medics have been giving me training in medical chakra healing."

"A fair arrangement, and it seems to have paid off," the older kunoichi praised as she added her own chakra to Sasuke's body, fine tuning the effects of the jutsu, which had already done a generous amount of healing. "I am also a shinobi medic, and I would be very happy to assist in training such a bright mind like your own. You definitely have a talent for healing, and new ideas are what drive the medical field to always improve and save lives."

Sakura blushed with humble pride at the compliment as she eagerly nodded and bowed in thanks. She had been told by the other medic nins that she was an exceptionally fast learner, and her nearly photographic memory was a huge asset when it came to the complex theories that formed the basis of medical knowledge and anatomy. Hinata piped up, "Shizune-neechan is the apprentice of Tsunade-sama, and she is a very skilled medic. I think you two will get along just fine."

"What happened to the Teme in the first place?" Naruto interrupted the pleasant moment. "And if you tell me all that studying nearly killed him I want to be the first to tell Iruka-sensei that it is totally a Thing."

"Not very reassuring to hear from someone who swears he is going to be Hokage someday," Sakura said in an annoyed tone, but proceeded to explain the series of events that had occurred since the rest of Team Seven had been gone. During her retelling, Naruto's face hardened, losing all traces of joviality as he processed the mistreatment his teammate had once again endured at the hand of his brother.

"He should be fine in a day or two," Shizune assured the increasingly angry teammate. "The brain is especially surprising in its ability to compensate for injury. However I feel that most of his trauma was centered on the emotional burden of whatever he saw in the genjutsu."

At this point Shizune shooed them out of the room, insisting that rest was the best thing for Sasuke now. Hinata had to practically pull Sakura away from his bedside as she kept finding wrinkles to straighten in his blankets. The pink haired kunoichi said goodbye to the group and returned to her other duties, leaving them to make their way up to where Team Seven's Sensei had been admitted.

They entered the dimly lit hospital room just as Kakashi was pulling up his mask, and the keen disappointment of the two students was quickly forgotten as they heard a gasp from behind them.

"Ka-Kakashi-kun?"

At the sound of his name Kakashi's head snapped up and his single eye widened as he took in the gaping expression on Shizune's face. Even above the mask there was a pink tinge to his cheeks as he gave a surprisingly Naruto-like chuckle and scratched the back of his neck. "Yo Sh-Shizune-chan, we-welcome back."

Naruto and Hinata were staring at their sensei with heads identically tilted in massive confusion. "You guys know each other?" Naruto queried.

"Ummm…" Kakashi stammered.

"Oh well...It's kind of a long story..." Shizune blushed deeply.

"It was a long time ago.." Kakashi waved a hand through the air in a dismissive manner, causing Shizune to frown.

"It wasn't _that_ long ago."

Kakashi's hand waving increased. "I just meant it was only...a lot has happened since you left." The two stared at each other for a beat before Shizune ducked her head.

"You haven't changed a bit Kakashi," she said softly.

Naruto and Hinata had been watching the back and forth like an audience at a tennis match while Hiruzen and Tsunade merely snickered at the awkward reunion. "I am so confused," Naruto whispered in Hinata's ear, unable to tear his eyes away from the spectacular sight of Dog being completely flustered. She rolled her eyes and raised a fist with her pinkie out and twirled it in the air. When realization finally dawned his jaw dropped into a dramatic "O".

Kakashi looked like he had recovered a modicum of his normally calm composure and tried again to address the woman who he had thought was gone forever. "You look...well, Shizune-Chan."

"Just well?" Her dark eyes glanced down at her dusty traveling clothes and she fingered her dry hair pensively. "Oh. I see."

"That is, I mean, you look just the same!"

"Um, thank you?" Her mouth quirked up in a small smile and a teasing twinkle lit her dark eyes causing Kakashi's heart to climb up into his throat in a way he thought was impossible. "You've had better days," she giggled.

"Eh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you look like hell Hatake," Tsunade cut in, having finally had enough of the silly display. "You can flirt later, Shizune will be around a lot more often now that I've made her the head of the hospital."

"WHAT!?" Shizune's voice squeaked in horror.

Tsunade nodded proudly at the shocked look on her apprentice's face. "It's my first declaration as the Godaime Hokage. I've only been here 30 minutes and I can tell this place is shit compared to when I left. There is no one more qualified to whip their asses into shape than you." Turning to Kakashi she snapped her fingers in front of his face to get his attention off the adorable red shade of Shizune's cheeks and back onto the matter at hand. "Drool later. Talk now. And don't skimp on the details, I haven't forgotten the abysmal reputation of your mission reports."

Kakashi shot a glare at the muffled snorts of laughter coming from his students. _There went the little bit of respect I'd been able to instill in them_ , he thought with a sigh.

"Hai Hokage-sama," he began in the lazy drawl that was quintessentially Kakashi. He quickly filled them in on what he saw when he arrived in the Uchiha District a week ago, and an aura of frustration and anger fell over the group. But while some were dwelling on the emotional damages, Tsunade was frowning in thought, her red fingernail tapping her lip in contemplation.

"This _Tsukuyomi_ ," she said in a low and serious voice. "What exactly did you see? Anything that revealed his motives regarding Naruto?"

Kakashi's single eye hardened as he relived the torture of 72 straight hours of repeatedly being stabbed, while trying to focus on the flashes of images he had seen in between the waves of blinding pain. "He is a part of some group with maybe... eight members? They all have the same cloaks, black with red clouds. They are collecting all the jinchuriki I think. I saw flashes of scenes that could only be the deaths of three others. Two older men with headbands from the Land of Stone, and a blond woman from Lightning. I can't help but feel like he wanted me to know about them. Almost like a warning."

"They call themselves Akatsuki," Jiraiya added in a solemn voice, having once again snuck in through the window to catch the Copy Nin's description. "I have heard rumors of them through my spy network. They are a grassroots organization that began in Amegakure, and have now started to expand outside their borders, selling themselves as shinobi for hire. That is why I am only just now hearing of them. Hanzo of the Salamander has kept that country locked up tighter than a sealed scroll ever since the end of the third war."

"That makes no sense," Naruto interjected, feeling he deserved a say, seeing as it was his body they were after. "Why would he try to warn us about the Akatsuki after everything he has done? Especially if he is a part of their group, does he think he's some sort of double agent or something? Cause I sure as hell wouldn't trust a damn thing he said."

One by one the eyes of everyone in the room turned to the Sandaime, the unspoken question thickening the air in the room. Hiruzen stared pointedly at his hands where they rested on the head of his cane, before slowly saying, "I would never presume to understand what goes on in that man's head. Nor do I ever wish to. Come Tsunade, there are others who need your attention."

* * *

The sun wasn't even awake yet when the pounding on the door started. Naruto groaned and threw an arm over his face. "It's your turn to get it."

Jiraiya was staying in town until Tsunade's inauguration and after spending the evening attempting to conduct some "research" on a nearby onsen, only to be stalked and brutally punched across the street by Hinata, much to the satisfaction of her new Hokage, he was passed out after pity drinking himself into oblivion. So with his room rudely occupied, Kakashi found himself sleeping sprawled out on a cot at the foot of Naruto's bed.

"Like hell," he grunted from the floor.

"I made dinner," Naruto's muffled voice mumbled from under his pillow.

"Instant Ramen is not dinner."

"And Icha Icha is not literature, but it's still your turn."

"Blasphemy!" Kakashi hissed, but dragged his body out of bed all the same.

The pounding wasn't stopping, rather it was getting louder. Kakashi trudged down the hallway, now mostly awake and thinking it might be a mission with the level of persistence put behind the thumping. As he reached the door, Naruto appeared from his bedroom with a slightly concerned look on his face, "Hey Dog, that feels like Sakura."

Puzzled and now even more worried, Kakashi quickly opened the door and barely caught the kunoichi as she stumbled inside sobbing so hard he had to hold her up as he guided her to the couch. Naruto rushed into the living room and quickly grabbed a glass of water, thrusting it into her hands as both of the now thoroughly awake men tried to decipher her hiccuping words.

"Sasuke...gone...I tried to stop him...wouldn't listen... hit me...just woke up..."

The blood that had matted the hair at her temple and run down her jaw was visual testimony of her surprising words. Kakashi looked at Naruto, "was he discharged yesterday?"

Naruto was scowling, half in concern, half in annoyance at his teammate's rude treatment of the girl who was always trying too hard to gain his favor.

"No, when I talked to him last night he said he wasn't supposed to be going home until later today. Jiraiya noticed his containment seal was damaged and fixed it, but Shizune-neechan wanted to keep him one more night to make sure there were no side effects. He was grumpy as hell and quieter than usual, but I just chalked it up to him being sick of the hospital. I never thought he was bad enough to attack Sakura."

They turned sympathetic but serious looks back to the distraught kunoichi, who sensed their gazes and swallowed a gulp of water trying to compose herself. "He s-said he was leaving. But it didn't sound like h-he meant to go home," Sakura stuttered, her hands gripping the glass of water so tightly it was nearly ready to crack. "I asked him where he meant to go, and he just said I couldn't stop him. I-I offered to go with him. I j-just had—have—this feeling that he isn't coming back...I don't know where Shizune-san is staying, and this was c-closer than the Hokage Tower…" her sentence trailed off as she shook her head as though fighting off a wave of dizziness.

Kakashi and Naruto made eye contact, they had talked with Hinata about their concern of Sasuke's reaction to this latest mental assault by his brother. All three were anxious about his ability to deal with it in a way that didn't trigger the hatred locked away in The Snake's cursed mark. They had tried to get him to open up, but even Naruto had been unable to cajole an explanation of any kind out of his teammate. Several times they had noticed him staring blankly out the window with his Sharingan spinning, only to snap at whoever interrupted his thoughts. They had hoped that correcting the containment seal would help, but apparently it was not enough, And now to find out he had attacked a fellow shinobi, this was exactly what they had feared.

Without a word Naruto plopped down on the floor, focusing intensely on reaching out his senses for his unstable teammate. A minute ticked by with Naruto's scowl only growing deeper.

"Well?" Kakashi asked in a terse voice, Naruto was gritting his teeth in concentration, a vein starting to pop from his temple.

"I don't feel him. He's not in his apartment, not in the Uchiha District, the hospital, the training grounds, the market, I..." he blinked up at Kakashi with mild shock and anger flashing in his eyes. "He left the village?"

Sakura was starting to cry harder again and Kakashi passed her a cloth to wipe her face, which Naruto noted with annoyance was his own t-shirt. "I knew it," she said hoarsely, "when he said those words, I just knew he meant it!"

"What did he say?" Kakashi demanded, all pretense at tenderness gone under the mounting dismay that his student had done the unthinkable.

"Just before he j-jumped out the window, h-he looked back at me and said to forget I ever knew him. Then he was suddenly b-behind me and the next thing I knew I-I was waking up on his hospital bed."

"Motherfucker!" Naruto swore with vehemence, Kakashi couldn't agree more. "Dog, you don't think he went to—"

"I don't know, but there's no time to waste. I'll go notify the Hokage." Kakashi stated as he bit his thumb to summon Pakkun.

"I'll get Hinata and Neji." Naruto called from the doorway, already pulling on his vest and grabbing his pouch. A pop heralded the arrival of Pakkun and before his paws had hit the floor Kakashi was succinctly filling him in on the details. Yanking open the door, Naruto yelled over his shoulder, "Yo Pakkun! I'm going to the Hyuga Compound, follow Sasuke's scent and we will catch up to you!"

"T-take my teammates too." Sakura interjected, sniffling harshly while holding the bloody t-shirt to the side of her aching head as her hands glowed with green healing chakra. "They are the best at t-tracking." Naruto nodded and immediately sent two clones towards the Inuzuka and Aburame Compounds, and seconds later Sakura was alone in the apartment with only the snores of Jiraiya.

Bypassing the Hyuga Compound's front gate and swiftly leaping over the rooftops, Naruto easily swung into Hinata's room, landing with an intentionally loud thud at the foot of her bed and flaring his chakra in a way he knew would alert Neji as well. She bolted upright to see Naruto rummaging in her ninja pouch, tossing in extra weapons. "Sasuke's gone," he snapped, angrily tossing her the neatly folded chunin vest. She snatched the item out of the air and pulled it on over her tank top. "When?" She demanded, reaching for her hitae-ate on her nightstand.

"Earlier tonight. He attacked Sakura and escaped the hospital. I can't sense him anywhere in the city. We're meeting Pakkun and the rest of Team Eight to track him down while Dog notifies the Hokage."

Neji appeared in the doorway, tying back his hair. "I heard you," he stated when Naruto looked to him, their eyes hard and somber. They knew this was an unprecedented action, made even more drastic by the status of the perpetrator. The situation was delicate and could explode if mishandled, and all they wanted to do was quietly retrieve the ticking time bomb before it could destroy everything.

"Ready." Hinata brushed past them, having changed into her pants when the boys were distracted. They grabbed their shoes and flew out the door.

Minutes later the five shinobi and two ninken stood at the entrance of the village as they listened to Pakkun report on the multiple scents besides that of Sasuke he had discovered just outside the walls. All of them matched the scents of the ninjas from the rooftop of the arena where the chunin exams had taken place, when Pakkun had noticed them as he scoured the wreckage for Kakashi and the Hokage.

"Fuck! This is worse than I thought!" Naruto was pacing furiously as realization set in that the worst had happened.

Hinata ignored the curse and spoke up, "It has to be The Sound Four, no one else from the chunin exams fit that description and also have a reason to get Sasuke out of the village."

"Whether he went voluntarily or not, we must retrieve him. There are no good outcomes if he falls into Orochimaru's hands," Neji crossed his arms, his eyes following Naruto as the jinchuriki struggled to get his emotions under control. "This is not the time to rush in without a plan. Those are powerful shinobi with unknown jutsu. We cannot underestimate them," his steely eyes locked onto the others from Team Eight, his insinuation that this was a life or death endeavor adding weight to his solemn words. They didn't miss the message, and didn't hesitate to add their own affirmation.

"I don't give a shit about Sasuke," Kiba declared, "but he is part of this village, and he hurt Sakura, so I'll drag his sorry ass back here and make him apologize on his knees." Akamaru barked his agreement from Kiba's side.

"We will not fail," Shino added, his deep voice coming from behind the high collar of his hood. "Why? Because teammates should defend each other, and there is no greater betrayal than that of a friend."

Naruto had ceased his movements and been listening intently to their words, his own anger and fear fueling the fire of his beast. _How could you Sasuke? After knowing what it felt like to be betrayed by a brother, how could you turn against us? What could you possibly need from Orochimaru that we are not offering?_

Hinata's hand gripped his shoulder, and he looked into her eyes, allowing her to see all the emotions battling to overcome his rational thought, wordlessly pleading for her help in settling his inner chaos. She leveled him with a stern lavender gaze that quelled his raging ire, and the strength of her presence steadied the storm in his heart. It was time to grow up and act like a shinobi, not a butt hurt kid who's friend hurt his feelings. They needed a plan; something simple, unpredictable, and flexible. It was time to do what Naruto did best.

"This is how it's going to be," his voice was serious, steady, and confident. The voice of a leader, and instinctively they reacted to his aura of calm authority. "There's five of them and five of us. Pakkun, stay here and guide Kakashi-sensei to us when he's done with the Hokage, and tell him to notify Shizune-neechan that we may need medical backup. The rest of us will give chase. Kiba and Neji take point, Hinata in the back, Shino and I will guard the flanks, and I'll throw out some clones for extra back up and to relay messages back to the village. I don't need to tell you that we need to be prepared for the worst, but they will most likely underestimate us, and not doing the same will be our greatest advantage. Stay alert. I'm not worried about stealth, focus on speed, and speak up if you have any ideas. I'm pulling this out of my ass and I'm open to any suggestions. Got it?"

"HAI!"

"Let's go!"

They blurred away into the gray predawn and Pakkun smirked to himself. "That Pup is gonna make a hell of a Hokage someday."

* * *

Naruto's thoughts were going a million directions at once as he raced through the trees, the rapid thumping of his heart matching the strike of his sandals on the thick branches. He was alone, each of his impromptu teammates having paired off to do battle with the formidable shinobi who had thought that by separating the younger ninja they could obliterate them while still stealing away with their prize, which according to Neji's Byakugan was a large barrel containing a frothing, chakra covered Sasuke.

First was that massive ninja who had laughed darkly as he declared his intentions to feed off the teenagers, prompting Shino to immediately retaliate with his own chakra absorbing beetles. The firm confidence in the Aburame's voice as he told them to leave it to him had boosted their faith in his abilities, and they had continued on their breakneck pace.

The next ninja to challenge them had been a freakish looking fucker with six arms that had mocked them while showering the group with deadly arrows. The two Hyuga had launched into twin _kaiten_ of blazing chakra that had deflected every last projectile. Neji had smirked as he commanded them to leave him behind, because even an eight limbed mutant could not escape his eyes. And what good was six hands against 64 palms?

Kiba and Akamaru had been chomping at the bit for a fight, so when the next shinobi revealed himself to be a two-headed mutant with an unholy sibling thing going on, the Inuzuka and his partner had nearly howled with battle fever. Two against two, it was only fair. The flash of their grinning fangs was the last thing Naruto saw before he and Hinata continued their pursuit.

Leaving Hinata behind was the worst, but her quick mind was already breaking down the faults of the foul mouthed kunoichi's jutsu before Naruto could even protest the idea of them separating. He had tried to leave a clone to assist her, but she had glared at him, insisting that she was strong enough to succeed on her own, and that he needed to save up his chakra because what she had seen up ahead had been an opponent of nearly Sannin level chakra.

Focusing on the source of the immense chakra up ahead, Naruto said a prayer to Kami for the safety of his comrades, and for the patience to not murder Sasuke once he got his hands on him.

He landed on the edge of the meadow, the tall grass rippling like ocean waves as the now fully risen sunlight burned away the fog that clung to the edges of the clearing. On the far side he saw the destroyed remnants of Sasuke's small prison, and the putrid but powerful chakra that poured from that direction made Naruto's senses recoil. It reeked of snakes and cold blooded intentions. Scanning the area, Naruto caught sight of red eyes that flashed and then disappeared into the rocky terrain ahead. Charging out onto the meadow, it was only because of his shinobi instincts that he narrowly missed being impaled by a long white sword that came flying through the air as if launched from a crossbow. It vibrated where it had impaled a tree trunk near his head, and Naruto touched the unusual blade with a finger as he blinked at the thing that had nearly killed him, _is this bone?_

The sickly sound of tearing flesh had Naruto spinning around in time to witness the revolting vision of a man calmly ripping his own spine out of his back. Horror settled into his stomach and he had to fight down a wave of nausea as the shinobi snapped and popped as he contorted into a battle ready stance while the man's skin crawled as though insects were trying to burst out of his body.

"What the everloving fuck are you even made out of?!" Naruto bellowed, nearly forgetting to pull out a weapon of his own as ribs, sharp as fangs, erupted along the pale torso of the ridiculously strong opponent. He was so focused on the disturbing anatomy and trying not to puke all over his now blazing trench knives, that Naruto was surprised to hear Kakashi's voice come from behind him.

"The Kaguya Clan, I thought they were all dead," Kakashi drawled, but his Sharingan was out and whirling, and there was nothing lazy about his killing intent.

"They are," the man answered tonelessly. "I belong to Orochimaru-sama now, as does your Sasuke-kun. To be his instrument, the vessel of his ambition, it is my greatest aspiration. I would happily die to fulfill my purpose in his plan, and his plan requires Sasuke-kun and his special eyes. Fight me if you dare, but I will not let trash like you pass."

"Pup, go," Kakashi murmured, causing Naruto's blue eyes to widen at the gravity in his voice. "And don't you dare die, or I will let Hinata kill you while I watch."

Naruto choked out a half chuckle, but the fervor of emotion behind the joking words made his chest tighten as electricity crackled down Kakashi's arm. "Wouldn't dream of it Dog, I got too many bowls of ramen awaiting my return." The last thing he saw was the nearly happy crinkle of Dog's eyes before he charged forward with his _Chidori_ chirping and Naruto _kawarimi'd_ to the opposite side of the meadow. _Leave it to me, everyone! I will not waste the gift of your efforts, I will not let down your faith in me, I will never give up!_

Sasuke paused at the edge of the flowing river, catching his breath as he stared down at the dizzying waterfall. His chakra was boiling within his body, throbbing within the confines of his rapidly expanding network to the point where he felt like even a small pulse would rip his _tenketsu_ open like an exploding supernova. He grinned, tilting his head back and closing his eyes, reveling in the power that he had been craving for so long, riding the high like a junkie who finally got his hit. Now if only he had a certain blond idiot to test these new abilities out on...

"Sasuke! Teme what the hell is going on?!"

He chuckled darkly, low and then louder, his shoulders starting to shake as the euphoria peaked and he didn't resist its pull. "Baka. Stupid, stupid fool. Isn't it obvious? I'm leaving that pathetic village. I have greater goals to achieve. More jutsu to learn. You all are only holding me back. Burying me in flattering lies, blinding me to the truth of my history to keep me from my destiny. I am not yet The Last Uchiha, but I will be."

He turned to face his teammate's gaping face, Naruto's eyes taking in the shine of the crimson armor, beading with the water from the mist of the falls. "Teme, what—what are you talking about? Is this about your brother? We talked about him, we will help you! No one is stopping you from—"

The attack was sudden and blindingly fast. _Fukushu-sha_ slashed through the air with the grace of a diving hawk intent on its prey. The metal sunk into Naruto's gut with a _sssk_ , smooth as silk, the blade sharpened to a deadly edge even after all these years. Red eyes stared into azure blue, a smirk played at Sasuke's lips, and blood stained Naruto's teeth pink. "No more tricks, Dobe. I'm tired of being deceived."

_Poof_.

"I can't help but feel deceived myself," Naruto's voice came from behind him and Sasuke rotated his wrist, arcing his sword in an intimidating show of agility as he turned to face his rival, his closest match in skill, his best chance of testing his new abilities. "I thought you were a shinobi of the Leaf. The Clan Head of the Uchiha, the justice of your people," he looked Sasuke up and down, holding back his revulsion of the liberally spreading black curse marks across the Uchiha's face and hands. "I thought we were friends. More than that, brothers."

"You're so stupid," Sasuke sneered and again struck out. The two clashed, Naruto leaping from one foot to the other trying to block and parry the long _chokuto_ strikes with his trench knives, gritting his teeth in anger as he sensed that Sasuke wasn't holding back, his intent was to kill.

"The fuck is your problem?!" Naruto yelled, swapping with a rock that was immediately smashed. "Stop talking in circles! Tell me what the hell is going on, I'm your teammate dammit, you can trust me!" Naruto charged in from behind and connected with Sasuke's face, using the loop of the trench knife like a set of brass knuckles to send him staggering into another boulder.

The Uchiha forcefully spit a mouthful of blood out onto the dirt and snarled. "I don't trust anyone! They all hid the truth from me and used me for their own motives. Those cowards don't deserve to call themselves shinobi, they're nothing more than murdering dictators!"

His chakra surged and he pushed it to his hand, sneering with maniacal glee at Naruto, who couldn't help but take a step back in surprise at the lightning chakra that crackled down the long sword, extending its length by half. The ozone in the air thickened, seeming to displace the mist around Sasuke as though it too was terrified of the raging Uchiha.

"Who!?" Naruto demanded, trying to remain calm but increasingly overwhelmed by the sheer hatred in his teammate's eyes. Wind chakra flowed down his trench knives on reflex turning them into twin machetes, but he swallowed hard at the idea of intentionally trying to harm Sasuke. His friend was obviously deranged by the curse mark, there was no way he would say or do any of this with a clear mind. _Right?_

Sasuke charged, taking a serpentine pattern that had him disappearing from Naruto's vision with its unpredictable pace. Matching the style, Naruto also took to ricocheting off the boulders around them, feeling the brush of wind from their nearly colliding bodies and the spray of pebbles from the narrowly dodged attacks. He dove behind another large rock and Sasuke ran up the face of it only to be greeted by three leaping clones all sporting _Rasengans_ that collided with the _chokuto_ , forcing the Uchiha backwards over the edge of the ravine.

Naruto swore and ran for the cliff, ready to send a chain of shadow clones diving after his falling teammate when an unholy surge of powerful chakra rolled through the air like a shockwave, sending him careening to the ground and skidding backwards. Sitting up with a grunt Naruto opened his eyes to a savage entity he never thought imaginable.

Sasuke was suspended in the air, hovering with the aid of two massive gray hands that had torn through the back of his shoulder blades like grotesque wings. His whole person had morphed into a monstrous creature that drilled Naruto with a murderous glare full of lust for violence.

**Playtime is over Naruto. This isn't just a fight between teammates anymore, either you kill him or he will kill you.** The Fox had been watching closely, but not interfering with something he saw as none of his business. But he was all too familiar with the malicious gleam of those eyes, that Uchiha was not simply looking to test his abilities, he was out for blood.

_No! Sasuke is in there somewhere I just have to reach him!_

**Fool. Don't say I didn't warn you.** Despite the annoyed tone of his words, the Kyuubi sent a surge of his own chakra pouring through Naruto's body, and in seconds the jinchuriki's own fanged mouth and slitted red glare was facing down the creature that used to be his friend. The frothing red chakra coursed over Naruto's skin, elongating his nails and darkening his whiskers. The air and the earth vibrated with the weight of the two ninja's power, pebbles dancing across the ground and leaves trembling in the wind.

Naruto flexed his hands, not hiding his transformation in the hope that it added to the significance of his words. "Sasuke, this has to stop. I'm giving you one more chance. Come back to the village, talk to me. It's not too late to return to your place."

The hideous wings thrashed the air in agitation. "I know my place! My purpose! I have seen the truth with my own eyes. I hear the cries of my people, calling out for justice, and I will not ignore their pleas anymore. I will not hide in ignorance when their souls suffer in truth!" Sasuke's unearthly timbre screamed from above, his hurt and betrayal plain to feel and hear in the fire of his words. Naruto's mind was spinning, this was about more than just a brotherly vendetta yet unfulfilled. Something else was adding to Sasuke's burden. _Look underneath the underneath._

"Someone…someone else helped kill your clan?" The realization hit Naruto like a fist punch to the gut. Sasuke landed with a rumble of force and smirked with his red Sharingan eyes, revealing fanged incisors that breached the skin of his lips.

"Well, well. Perhaps not so stupid after all." A hunched Sasuke began stalking around a stunned Naruto, his demonic chakra cloak surging as his emotions reacted to his comprehension of this new level of treachery.

"Then let's stop this fight!" Naruto demanded, his own voice deep and husky as he growled ferally. "We will find him and end him the same way we will destroy your brother. I will support you to my dying breath, Sasuke."

"Will you?" Sasuke continued his creeping, circling around Naruto, studying the malevolent pressure of the heated chakra he emitted. Yes, this was a perfect rival, a perfect test of his abilities. He uttered the words that he knew would trigger the fight he truly craved. "Even if it is your precious Jiji? Your faithful council of oh-so-wise elders? How far will your support extend beyond your loyalty to your precious village?"

The chakra tail that whipped out from behind Naruto slammed Sasuke back towards the ravine and over the edge. This time he caught himself midair and his cackling laughter echoed off the rock walls over the roar of the waterfall. The triggered jinchuriki charged over the side of the cliff, clinging with chakra to its slick surface as he screamed in rage.

"How dare you!" Naruto screamed. "After all that man has done for you! They all worship the fucking ground you walk on. How dare you accuse him, THEM, of such a thing!"

"Open your gullible eyes Naruto! The only favor Itachi ever did me was showing me the truth of That Night. Do you really think a single shinobi could eradicate an entire Clan, the entire shinobi police force, THE UCHIHA in a single night without ever alerting a single ANBU?"

Naruto roared and slashed the air, sending gusts of wind blasting towards Sasuke, unbalancing his looming form and forcing him to skid across the water below under their gale force attacks.

"Then what kind of coward does that make you, Sasuke? You're the one running away, going to hide and pout in that Snake's lair like some spoiled brat! If what you say is true then face them! Call them out on their crimes for all to hear!" Naruto leapt off the rock wall and splashed onto the water's surface across the river, steam billowing up around him where his burning feet hovered over the churning waves at the foot of the falls.

"They don't deserve words, they don't deserve anything other than death. The system is corrupted, the leaders are tainted, the whole village is full of ignorant fools who cling to their false realities in order to feel important and righteous. I will be the revolution that sweeps the slate clean of all their transgressions. I will bring down a justice upon them that will echo through the ages and water the forest with their blood! And you, and your pathetic peaceful fantasies can go to hell with them if you stand in my way!" As Sasuke screamed out his tirade, bolts of electricity curled around his entire body, snapping and slithering over his torso like a cobra, hissing with power. Naruto's face hardened, his chakra tail whipping back and forth behind him, sending tidal waves crashing into the boulders peeking out of the rapids. _I see you now, Sasuke. Then there is only one way…I'm sorry friend._

**You can apologize when you survive the fight** , the Kyuubi roared in Naruto's mind. **Now brace yourself mortal, your Hime isn't here to help you maintain the tails this time, you'll have to suck it up and push through on your own. It would be a pain to have you die when you finally became mildly tolerable after all these years.**

Naruto grit his teeth as the second tail lazily emerged, focusing on controlling his mind, trying to keep the hate at bay and remember who he was and who he was fighting. "Alright Uchiha," he boomed at his now ravingly gleeful rival. "You want to test your fucking abilities? Come at me!"

From above the waterfall two stone visages of the most powerful shinobi to ever walk the earth stood witness to a battle that reshaped the earth upon which they were carved. The multiple chakra natures collided in a maelstrom of chaotic energy that had every sensor within a hundred miles pausing in their work. The sounds of battle echoed across the landscape, sending every creature and insect running for their lives. At the bottom of the ravine, the two inheritors of the injustices of the world fought to subdue one another and prove his own beliefs to be superior, his own judgment to be more justified, his own potential to be greater. On and on they battled, sparing no pity, offering no quarter. The heavens themselves held their breath as the burgeoning scions of the shinobi world grappled for their lives, their ideology.

Atop the cliffs, Kakashi and Hinata had finally caught up after defeating their opponents, but could only stand on the edge of the shaking ravine and watch in alarm as their precious people fought to redeem and revolt. After what felt like an eternity of dodging behind boulders to avoid the unearthly powerful stray blasts of chakra, they heard the sounds of battle finally begin to die down, and looked down to see that Naruto was still cloaked in the Kyuubi's demonic chakra, but heaving for each breath and kneeling, barely stable, on the surface of the water. Sasuke was bleeding from a multitude of claw marks and chakra burns where Naruto's many _Rasengan_ had singed his deathly gray skin.

"Do you know…there is a level beyond the third tomoe…of the Sharingan," Sasuke huffed, wavering slightly as he straightened up and wiped the water from his eyes. "The Mangekyo. Itachi has it. Kakashi has it. Do you know…how one acquires…such a fine eye?"

Naruto couldn't answer, the toll of the demonic chakra and the ensuing fight culminating to push him nearly to his limit. The wounds on his own body were no longer healing, pain was nearly blinding him, but he forced himself to focus, to hear the words Sasuke was saying.

Sasuke continued to stagger forward, uncaring of Naruto's lack of response. "It is bestowed…only upon those strong enough…to kill their best friend."

Slipping and sliding down the rocky cliffside, Kakashi and Hinata landed on either side of Naruto, but were unable to get close to him with the scorching heat that radiated off his demonic aura. Hinata was nearly drained of chakra from her own battle, but she struggled to gather enough to fight her way to Naruto's side. He needed her, his skin was starting to peel off in chunks. The emotional, mental, and physical torture he was enduring was nearly palpable.

"I won't…let you kill me," Naruto gasped out in between painful breaths. "I have a destiny as well…I will fulfill it…and fix the system…without continuing the cycle of violence."

"I see." Sasuke's gaze flicked over to the two encroaching shinobi behind Naruto, and his eyes narrowed. He had just enough chakra left for one last move, but it had to be one that Naruto would not dodge, could not deny, would not be able to ignore.

Hinata was focused on Naruto and didn't see the monstrosity move, until Sasuke appeared behind her with his clawed hand already around her throat. He dragged her shocked body back across the river and lifted her writhing body off the water, a _chidori_ ignited and poised over her heart. Kakashi was instantly leaping to grab her, but was slowed by the large gash in his leg he had suffered during his battle with Kimimaro. Hinata was slashing at Sasuke's wrist with her last dregs of chakra, clamoring to hit as many _tenketsu_ as she could as the corners of her vision started to darken, but his powered up second stage chakra network was not even flinching at her weakened strikes.

Sasuke's three tomoe throbbed in the fathomless depths of his crimson and black eyes as he stared unflinchingly into Hinata's white and glazed over Byakugan. Her mind couldn't believe this was happening, that her teammate was killing her in front of their best friend and teacher. Her heart felt like it was going to explode out of her chest, the pressure behind her eyes was building to a painful peak, and her whole head throbbed with the desperate desire for air. She saw the awful flash of his jutsu, and braced to meet her Maker.

Instead of the expected shock of pain, water engulfed her and she sunk into its cool depths. Her brain finally kicked into gear and she frantically thrashed until she erupted out of the river, coughing and spluttering, to the sound of Kakashi's terrified screams.

Sasuke stood motionless, _chidori_ sparking in his left hand, which protruded out the backside of Naruto's torso. His right hand still clenched the jinchuriki's throat, just as it had clenched Hinata's before Naruto had performed the _kawarimi_. Sasuke's chin was nearly resting on his slumped teammate's shoulder as he stared blankly past the immobile body. Kakashi had fallen and was on his knees, yelling at Sasuke, at Kami, at Naruto, frozen on the water's surface. _No_ , Hinata's mind flatly rejected the vision of her precious person. _Naruto is not dead. It is not over. He never gives up._

The red demonic chakra flickered and faded as Naruto's limp body slid off Sasuke's arm. With a splash he let his teammate fall face down, bobbing limply in the waves, as he turned and trudged to the opposite shore. The wings retracted, the armor clanked, and with one last glance over his shoulder, Sasuke took in the sight of his team as they rushed to Naruto's aid. He saw the look of heartbreaking desolation in Hinata's eyes, and a bolt of remorse hit him in his tainted soul. Her Byakugan zeroed in on his glowing Sharingan as it whirled into a pinwheel of the Mangekyo, and at that moment Sasuke knew true hatred. He held her gaze for a brief second, a thousand words conveyed in the naked meeting of the two powerful bloodlines. His lips moved of their own volition. _I had to_. Her face twisted into something between agony and anger and her own mouth whispered back plain to see, _just go._

And he did, knowing he deserved every searing stab of pain from his bleeding eyes.

As they worked to carry Naruto away, Hinata trying to stem the blood pouring from the gaping hole in the jinchuriki's chest and Kakashi shouldering the limp body as he struggled up the cliff, a crow swooped out of the air and snatched something from the rocks at the opposite shoreline.

Miles away Itachi looked to the sky at the sound of a familiar caw, and lifted his arm for the large black bird to alight upon. It dropped the wet hitae-ate with the scratched Konoha symbol into his open hand, and silently the Summons revealed the details of the source of the chakra disturbances Itachi had sent it to investigate.

His black eyes narrowed as he clenched the discarded item in a white knuckled grasp. "Foolish little brother."


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

Chapter 27

Hiruzen silently entered the hospital room, the sight of the bright blond hair on the stark white pillow a sobering sight. He had been dreading this visit, but after talking to Kakashi he knew he had to face the heartbroken boy and offer him whatever advice an old man familiar with the agony of betrayal possessed. His memory flickered with the genin face of Orochimaru, and his youthful, inquisitive eyes which now contrasted so starkly with the diabolical mirth of the crazed man. Yes, Hiruzen knew about betrayal.

He quietly sat in the chair next to the head of the bed. Naruto's eyes were closed and his breathing was even, but Hiruzen knew he wasn't asleep. He waited, trying not to stare at the bandages that wrapped around the tanned chest and up over his left shoulder. _Nearly murdered by his own teammate, no wonder the boy is seeking answers for a thousand questions._ Hiruzen only hoped he had the right words.

Bringing his gaze back up to Naruto's face he found two piercing blue eyes staring at him with all the judgement of Kami behind them, the same hard glare of Minato, and Hiruzen felt his throat tighten.

"Did you know Itachi was going to kill his family?" The boy's hoarse voice whispered.

Hiruzen's eyebrows raised and his grip tightened on his cane. This was not the type of question he was expecting. His mind was suddenly on guard, assessing the shinobi before him, trying to determine how much he knew and how much he was bluffing.

There had been so many secrets for far too long, and yet the truth was a bitter medicine that choked even the most desperately seeking sufferer, and was better absorbed in small doses. "I had reason to suspect," the Hokage answered cautiously. At this vague response, such cutting disappointment filled those blue eyes that Hiruzen could feel the stab of it in his heart.

The aged shinobi never felt his years so keenly, as he sighed heavily and braced for the retaliation he knew was coming. _Kami, I am so tired of all this bullshit_. He fixed his subordinate with a stern gaze as he tried to head off the interrogation before it got going. "I tried to stop him, Naruto-kun, but there was a lot more to the situation that you don't understand."

"Help me understand," Naruto growled, his hands fisting in the blankets. "Explain to me how the most promising shinobi of a generation, an ANBU with years of elite training and loyalty, a brother, a BOY, can be _allowed_ by the fucking Hokage to completely wipe out one of the founding clans of Konohagakure?"

"I don't know what Sasuke has told you," Hiruzen snapped, his own ire rising at the disrespect laced within the seething accusation. "But even _he_ doesn't know all that went on, not only that night, but in the weeks and months leading up to it. He has no right to make ignorant assumptions—"

"He has every goddamned right to make assumptions!" Naruto barked, grimacing slightly at the pain that shot through his wound. "It's his _family_! His culture! His legacy! And by keeping secrets from him you drove him to seek answers from anyone who would offer them. And guess who got to him first? That Snake Bastard and Sasuke's own Kami-forsaken brother!"

"The lies Orochimaru has poured into that boy's already tainted mind should never have been given a moment's credence by Sasuke, any citizen of the Leaf would know that The Snake was not to be trusted." Hiruzen put his full effort into the authoritative tone of his voice. "As a shinobi, a _chunin_ even, Sasuke should have been able to see underneath the underneath and realize that whatever happened that night was in the best interest of—"

"How many ANBU did you send after Itachi?" Naruto lurched upright in his bed, twisting to glare at the Sandaime face to face.

Hiruzen blinked at the abrupt change of direction but did not let the edge of steel slip from his voice. "The village was on lockdown, the police force was gone, I needed everyone here."

"Did you even conduct an actual investigation?" Naruto shot back.

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. "There was no question as to what had occurred."

"Right, because you already knew!" Naruto jabbed an accusatory finger at him and kept up his demanding questions. "Who helped him?"

Now it was the former Hokage's turn to snarl. "I gave no order for him or anyone else to lay a finger upon a single person. The blood of his people is on his hands alone."

Naruto fell back against the pillows with a huff of disgust. "That was the deal, huh? He takes the fall for you, and you get to deny any participation in the execution of your own village?"

"Watch your tongue brat!" Hiruzen yelled at Naruto with a venom which he had never directed at the cheerful child ever before. The heat of his fury was fueled by his panic to protect the village's secrets, to keep the status quo, to have this precious boy continue to see him as "Jiji" and not as the sinner in saint's robes that he actually was. The faith of this child had been Hiruzen's salvation and he couldn't handle the rejection of another precious person. Overwhelmed by the guilt of his warring emotions Hiruzen collapsed back into his chair, his chin falling to his chest as he stared blankly at the white tiled floor.

"Secrets," Naruto's morose tone filled the empty room, the unfamiliar timbre of defeat weighing down his words. "The answer is always _secrets_. Keep the Uchiha a secret. Keep the jinchuriki a secret. Keep the son of the Yondaime a secret. Keep the Byakugan a secret. And what is the result?" His fists punched the mattress with lackluster force, punctuating each depressing point. "Sasuke defected because he is an idiot who thinks his revenge is more important than his bonds. I was nearly murdered as a child for being a demon, and now I'm revered for the name I bear instead of the worth of my deeds. The Hyuga have torn their family apart with lies and cursed seals. All of it…for secrets…"

Hiruzen looked at the sadness that washed over the normally bright expression, and his heart throbbed with empathy for the pain the boy was struggling with as he tried to wrap his naive mind around the twisted realities of the adult world. "We are shinobi" he murmured. "Secrets are our business. Our lives depend on the carefully guarded information we possess. It is my job as Hokage to protect the village to the best of my ability by protecting her secrets."

"It is also your job to know when a secret has become poisonous, and needs to be leeched." Naruto sat up again, painfully but unflinchingly staring down the man he had always looked up to as a leader, as family. He saw the condescending pity in Hiruzen's eyes and it sparked his rebelliousness. "I will tell you a secret right now," he said with a deadly calm authority belying his years. "I will _never_ stop chasing my teammate. He is my brother. He is hurt. He is broken. He is a bastard but he is _mine_. Unless you can tell me a truth that will convince me to stay, I am leaving this village as soon as I am healthy and I will not return until I drag his body back with me."

Hiruzen nearly scoffed, but the look of hard determination in those clear blue eyes made his blood freeze in his veins. This wasn't a threat meant to manipulate information and deals out of an old man, it was a promise. His mind involuntarily flashed back to another teenager, equally promising and talented, who had knelt before him in his office and sworn to him upon his life as a shinobi of Konohagakure. _"Hokage-sama, if you do not stop this coup, I will. My own way. I refuse to allow the hubris of my clan to destroy the village. If you claim your hands are tied by your politics and the council, then allow me to be the hand of judgment. I will not fail you. I only ask one thing. My little brother..."_

Hiruzen sat still as a statue as a tear rolled down his weathered cheek. The memories of that horrible time washing over him. Damn that Danzo, he had sworn to engage in a full out war within the village walls if Hiruzen hadn't accepted Itachi's offer. His heartless advisors, who were once his closest confidants had jumped at the young man's offer to solve the Uchiha problem which had been festering for years. If only Minato had survived, he had been the only one able to get through to Fugaku. But in the end it was all for naught. As Hiruzen had begrudgingly nodded his assent to Itachi, he could have sworn he felt the Shinigami stake claim to his soul.

And where had all the plotting and secrets left him? His village was broken either way. Yes, thousands of lives had been saved by sacrificing the single clan. But Climbing Silver had always been his least favorite Shogi strategy. And now the ripple effect of that night was building into a tsunami of pain for the future generations. It had all been with the best of intentions, but it wasn't good enough. Perhaps, this secret truly had become too poisonous…

"Lie back, Naruto-kun," his gravelly voice was heavy with defeat. "This is a long story."

* * *

His chakra was nonexistent, but she knew exactly where he was just the same. Landing lightly on top of the stone head of his father, she slowly approached him, weaving between the tall rock spikes, and gently taking a seat next to him as he continued to stare at the setting sun.

Hinata relaxed by his side, knowing that if Naruto had something to say the words would readily tumble from his lips. But those lips were pressed together in a small frown that mirrored the furrows on his forehead. So she waited.

Naruto's endless stare was locked onto the disappearing daylight with an absent focus that matched his disorganized thoughts. He had grown up knowing that the world was an unfair and at times cruel place. He had felt firsthand the havoc that the hatred of men could create. He knew in his soul that evil must be ripped out by the roots, or else it would strangle the healthy harvest like the weed it was. He saw that by offering to be the one to eradicate the evil growing within his clan, Itachi was nothing short of a goddamned hero, and by willingly shouldering the burden of their sins and his own, he was a martyr as well. It was heartbreaking. The man should be a savior, and yet for the sake of his little brother he was willing to be vilified as a monster _. I see you, Itachi. I will not forget to acknowledge your sacrifice when I reap the spoils of peace that you have sown with the blood of your family. And when I rebuild this place, I will never make a martyr like you necessary again._

And then there was Sasuke, running around like a fucking lunatic with so much misplaced anger that he had turned against his teammates, and then abandoned them for his own violent goals. _Worse than scum_. The memory of the dishonorable strategy Sasuke had used at the end of their battle still made Naruto's blood boil and his chakra pulse like his pounding heart with the urge to punish him for ever daring to lay a hand on his Hime solely for the purpose of goading his rival. Naruto had trusted him like a brother, bled for him, laughed with him, fought by his side. But when faced with the reality that his venerated clan might not be perfect and his village leaders weren't always beacons of truth, Sasuke had handled it with a furious rage of immature emotions instead of rational thought, refusing to give anyone a chance to explain. Refusing to trust those who trusted him.

Naruto had been up here on the mountain overlooking the village for hours, lost in a state of deep contemplation that most people did not think him capable of. After forcing himself to hear out every last word of Jiji's explanation, he had then withdrawn to a place of safety in an attempt to grapple with the difficult mental transition of a childish adoration of one's heroes, to the broadening perspective of a world forged in imperfection.

When presented with his own rude awakening into the harsh reality of the existence of spectrums of justice in an unjust world, Sasuke had rejected the idea that one must grow up and face the fact that adulthood was full of grays, that nothing was black and white. Instead he chose to believe the false promises of power that greedy Snake offered in order to execute his revenge.

Naruto growled unconsciously, his idealistic heart still struggling to understand the multifaceted situation, but then he thought of the outcomes of all the tragedies. Did the end really justify the means? He guessed that depended on each person's perspective, what they lost and what they gained. Is this what it meant to be Hokage? To sit in the tower and attempt to manipulate fate, and at the same time see into the future to ensure the least amount of loss for the greatest gain?

Sitting up on his father's stone head, Naruto wished he could absorb the man's thoughts up through the rocky skull and into his now heart. His new understanding that the position of glory and honor that he had coveted ever since he was a child had a darker, less ethical side was a bitter realization. The fact that there was an obligation as Hokage to constantly be choosing between the lesser of two evils. Could Naruto ever do that? Could he be strong enough to not only beat any enemy in a battle of chakra and wits, but also strong enough to bear the burden of the village's sins so that they could live in peace and ignorance? Did they deserve that from him? He wasn't sure. To be a shinobi was to endure. But where was his own breaking point?

Naruto's thoughts flashed to the point when he had broken during his battle with the now rogue Uchiha. When he had seen Hime's eyes widen in fear and Sasuke's screeching _chidori_ aiming straight for her heart. _I don't think I can ever forgive him for attacking Hime._ Naruto had not been bluffing when he had sworn to Jiji that he would chase down his former teammate, but he also had not been exaggerating about dragging the asshole's body back...

Naruto didn't realize how hard he was clenching his fists until he felt Hinata's warm hand cover his own and looked down to see that his heavy thoughts had inadvertently caused his clawed fingers to gouge four deep grooves into the rock. When he forced himself to relax his grip, she threaded her fingers between his, and gently brushed his bandaged shoulder with her other hand. "Does it hurt?" she asked softly.

"No..." he answered, then grabbed her fingers, placing the palm of her hand over his heart, "...and yes." She hummed in understanding as Naruto's head fell back against the stone spike that he leaned onto and he groaned heavily from the bottom of his soul. "I feel betrayed and disappointed and angry and so fucking confused. So many people I trusted, I admired. And no one was as they seemed."

Hinata sat in peaceful patience, allowing her calming presence to wash over his storming mind as Naruto poured out his thoughts and repeated the conversation he had with the Sandaime. The sun had disappeared below the horizon and the stars were twinkling in the dwindling twilight when he finally finished.

As she pondered the overwhelmingly tragic tale, Hinata placed her hand onto his wounded shoulder, channeling a steady stream of healing chakra just like Shizune-neechan had showed her, eliciting a deep sigh of contentment from Naruto, for what seemed like the first time in days as he finally ran out of words.

She let her calm strength seep into her voice as well as out of her palms as she quietly spoke her thoughts. "When I found out that Hizashi was my real father, I initially was so relieved to not be the daughter of Hiashi that it wasn't until a few days into my grieving for Kaasan that it occurred to me that she and Hizashi had been unfaithful. It was rather difficult to wrap my head around, I had always looked up to my Kaasan as this picture of perfection and purity that I wanted to emulate in every way. It made me slightly leery of Otousan for a short while, wondering if he had tricked her somehow, and if he was really worthy of my trust. So I watched him. And I saw him."

The heat of the summer sun that had beaten down upon the rocks all day radiated back out of the stone around them as they sat close together in the cool air high above the village. The lights were starting to flicker on around the streets, like a meadow of awakening fireflies. Hinata didn't notice, her complete focus on the hurting heart of her friend. He had nearly died for her. The sight of his blood seeping between her fingers as his tanned skin turned chalky was something she saw in her nightmares. Ceasing the glow of her healing chakra she unwrapped the bandages from his torso, revealing the delicate pink flesh that stretched over the nearly healed wound. She stared at the scar, Naruto's first one ever, forcing her mind to replace the images of the hole in his chest with the shiny taut skin. _He's still here. He's still whole._

"And what did you see?" Naruto asked in a soft voice filled with exhaustion and hope.

"I saw a good man, who wasn't perfect. Who never claimed to be. Who prioritized his loyalties to the best of his ability, who knew when to walk the line and when to step aside and follow his heart."

The evening breeze kicked up, and Hinata reached for her scroll to unseal the blanket that she figured Naruto might need when she heard he had escaped the hospital in little more than bandages and pants. He helped her wrap the warm cloth around the both of them and finally smiled for the first time.

"So you're saying I should forgive them." It was more a defeated statement than a question.

"The Sandaime never sinned against you, it is not your place to forgive him. He doesn't need your approval for doing what he sincerely felt was best. The consequences of his decisions are between him, the Uchiha, and Kami," she gently admonished. Naruto pouted, but nodded slowly. His anger at the former Hokage was based on the misunderstandings of many half truths. Truths the old man had graciously relented to reveal to him, despite being under no obligation to do so.

"And Sasuke?" he asked, tilting his head down to look at Hinata's face. Her dark eyebrows scrunched in a scowl. "He deserves to hear the full truth as well, but he still has to answer for his actions." Her fingers traced the freshly healed skin on his chest, sending goosebumps down Naruto's arms. Thinking he was cold Hinata dropped her hand and instead leaned into his side, making his confused brain feel even more cottony.

Searching for something to say to stifle the suddenly awkward emotions in his chest, Naruto blurted out, "Jiraiya wants me to leave the village with him."

Hinata's head snapped up, eyes drilling into his face, and Naruto was quickly sputtering out further explanations to make that suspicious look go away. "Just a training trip! Nothing more! But he's heard through his spy network about the group called Akatsuki that Itachi joined. What Itachi told Dog in that Genjutsu was no joke. They really are trying to capture all the jinchuriki, they already have one from Lightning and two from Stone. He wants me to go into hiding, so to speak, while I train to become stronger, and help him learn more about this group, so I can better protect myself and the village."

Hinata's eyes hadn't left his face for a single second, taking in his words and turning them over in her mind. Naruto misread her quiet expression as sadness and hurried to add, "of course you can come too Hime! I wouldn't dream of leaving you behind for that long. We can get stronger together! Besides, you're way better at reigning in Ero-sennin than I am, dattebayo!"

The sadness didn't leave her face, and Naruto's teasing smile faded from his own. "Hime?"

"Naruto-kun," her hand came up to his whiskered cheek, "that sounds great, you absolutely should go." Her eyes shone with tears that didn't fall, "But I can't leave now, not with the Hyuga in such turmoil. Everyday Otousan struggles to keep the Clan from falling apart. Every loyal Hyuga is needed, and I cannot abandon my family now, not when they need me most."

Hurt flashed across Naruto's face, and she clapped another hand on his other whiskered cheek, forcing him to meet her gaze and not look away. "Tsunade has offered to train me as well. I can be her apprentice and her assistant, Shizune-neechan is going to run the hospital with Sakura to help her, so someone has to keep the Godaime in line. I have an opportunity to get stronger and protect the village too."

The two friends stared at each other, the realization settling in that for the first time in their lives since they had found one another, they would be separated for a vast amount of time and distance. In unison they reached out to one another with their chakra, instinctually seeking the wordless understanding that they could never achieve even with hours of conversation. Emotions of hurt, sadness, determination, reaffirmation, and affection swelled between them, and finally Naruto sighed. "I see. But damn, I'm gonna miss you Hime."

"I'll miss you too," she said in a hitched voice, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder. He hugged her back with a spine cracking fierceness that had her giggling and twisting for escape. "Who is going to wrap your hands for you, huh?" He teased as she writhed in his death grip.

"I guess I'll just have to do it myself!"

"Who's gonna protect you from all the bad guys, eh?" He smirked trying to worm her into a headlock, except her damned flexibility let her escape with ease.

"Namikaze Naruto are you insinuating that I am weak!?" She asked with sarcastic indignation.

"No ma'am! My clones can attest to that!" She stuck her tongue out at him and whirled to take off, expecting him to give chase as he always did. What she didn't expect was him to snatch her wrist in a tight grasp and pull her back, her surprised face turned to see his serious blue eyes and soft sheepish smile.

"Stay?" Naruto asked in a tone laced with the open vulnerability that he only ever showed to her. It was a question, a childish request for comfort.

"Always," she whispered, and snuggled back into his side.

They sat together late into the night, watching the moon trek across the field of stars, wrapped up in a single blanket and each other's chakra.

* * *

Karin glanced up when she sensed the arrival of a new chakra signature at the entrance of the hideout. Sliding out of her chair she quickly headed down the hallways while concentrating on the new presence. _Definitely a shinobi, powerful, the tang of ozone about him…must be a lightning nature. And definitely_ _has the curse mark._ At the final realization she slowed the urgency of her steps and instead shoved one the nearby guards in the shoulder.

"Can't you feel that you idiot? There's someone coming! Go tell Kabuto and open the damn door," she snapped at a grumbling guard as he stalked off in the direction of the lab where Kabuto could usually be found. Returning to her work Karin put the new arrival out of her mind, snatching the clipboard out of the slot by the door of Hana-san's fake little hospital room. Karin had attempted to bring in a few more creature comforts for the cooped up woman, bullying several other shinobi that made trips down to the nearby villages to bring back a few books of a non-scientific nature and even a warm maroon blanket of soft wool to ward off the chill of the sterile environment.

She paused outside the room, peeking in through the small window of the door, and frowned at the sight of Hana-san curled up with her back to the door, books forgotten at the foot of the bed, and her lunch untouched on the nightstand. Karin had noted that the young woman's demeanor had taken a turn for the pessimistic, pining after her absent lover and fretting that she had displeased him since he had not even attempted to visit her. Karin had caught her talking to the child in her womb, reassuring it that its father had not forgotten them, that he would come eventually and they would be happy together. Words that the kunoichi suspected the expectant mother wished someone would whisper to her. She would keep wishing.

Before she could enter the room, Karin heard her name being called from the hallway, and saw Kabuto gesturing impatiently for her to follow him. Growling, she slammed the clipboard back into the shelf and stomped after his disappearing figure. The Sannin's favorite assistant explained that the new arrival she had sensed was a much anticipated addition to Orochimaru-sama's ever growing collection of rare talent, but had recently been in a battle and needed healing and testing done. Karin glared at the back of Kabuto's gray head as he rambled through his explanations. _Great_ , she thought in annoyance, _another lab rat with a god-complex for me to put up with._

"This is Karin," Kabuto announced, sweeping into one of the nicer treatment rooms where a figure sat hunched over on a cot against the wall. "She will see to your healing while I prepare for your stay." The nearly hungry smile that spread across Kabuto's face as he looked at the dark haired mess of a man made Karin want to vomit. And she made sure to step widely out of his way as he exited the room with a low chuckle. _Creep_.

As the door slid shut she huffed and approached the man, who appeared to be about her age, filthy, and exhausted, but otherwise had no serious injuries. She was glad, she really didn't want another random mouth sucking the chakra out of her body. But that thought froze in her mind when the man looked up at her, revealing a youthful face of perfect symmetry and dark eyes set in pale skin. _Well, damn._

Forcing down her flustered reaction to his high cheekbones, straight nose and sharp jaw, she proceeded with protocol.

"Name?"

The newcomer raised a dark perfectly arched eyebrow and Karin mentally forced herself to smash the butterflies in her stomach. "You don't know my name?" he asked in a smooth, deep, and rather smug voice. The arrogance barely detracted from his pleasant features.

Karin rolled her eyes, "You're not the only man in the world, shinobi-san." She made sure to lace her voice with as much sarcasm as she could.

His smirk should be illegal it was so stunning. "I am not just any man. I am an Avenger." At that statement her libido took a distinct nose dive. _Ugh Kami, not another one._

"Let me guess," she crooned in a saccharine tone, propping her new clipboard on her hip and sauntering back and forth before him as she adjusted her glasses. "Your family is dead. Either you killed them or some other graphically tragic betrayal took place. You have some ridiculously rare and special kekkei genkai that gives Kabuto a bigger boner than that Snake bastard. You think you have some Kami-sanctioned mission of destiny that makes you immune to their plans. You have abandoned those precious to you in search of power. Your home was full of people who 'just never understood my pain'. And…" she tapped her chin in mock contemplation as his face contorted into a glare that would scare a less jaded kunoichi. "You don't need anyone but yourself." She stopped in front of his furiously trembling form, bending at the waist to look him in the eye over the rim of her glasses. Her red glare met his black one as they stared each other down in the silent chamber. "Did I miss anything, shinobi- _sama_?"

Had Sasuke not been nearly starving and half conscious from the after effects of chakra exhaustion and his first usage of the second stage of his curse mark, not to mention the days he spent wandering around the countryside following the whispers from the voice in his head to the hideout's location, he might have lashed out at this abhorrent woman. As it was, all he could do was pout like a scolded child, and mumble for her to get on with whatever it was she needed to finish.

The rest of the exam went quickly, with Kabuto returning with a tray of food just as she wrapped up the last page of her charting. With a flip of her flaming red hair she left the head medic to his ass-kissing and didn't look back as she slammed the door shut behind her.

Kabuto narrowed his eyes at the closed door, pausing in his description of the glorious methods and ideologies of Orochimaru-sama. "Ignore Karin's moods," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "She is merely a subordinate of mine who needs to be reminded of her place from time to time. As I was saying, the training will begin with…"

Sasuke slowly chewed on his meal, only half hearing the shining promises that came from Kabuto's mouth. He was only interested in what Orochimaru had to say, not this Suck Up. He hated people who couldn't think for themselves, blindly following a leader like they were Kami on earth. Perhaps that was why he was having such a hard time ignoring the spicy woman who had so easily pegged him, much to his shame. She was the exact opposite of the hoards of fan-girls that had followed him throughout his childhood. Her frank assessment lacked all the hollow worship of the adults he encountered, simply because they adored his prestigious name. She obviously couldn't have cared less about his name. This kunoichi would bear watching.

He grunted in agreement with his own thoughts, which Kabuto mistook as an encouragement to continue his goddamned rambling.

* * *

As the months passed Sasuke caught glimpses of the red haired kunoichi but never spoke with her again until the day he was wounded during a training exercise with his second stage curse mark. The power had once again gone to his head, and to his eternal frustration he had allowed himself to lose control and overdone it, landing him in her care. By then he had become acquainted with many of Orochimaru's other "acquisitions", and understood where Karin's numbed response to his cocky self assurance stemmed from. But he had also gained a reputation for himself by obliterating every opponent he faced. He was not just another bloodline. He was not just another victim with a grudge. He was _The_ Avenger, and he _would_ deliver justice.

Sasuke waited in his own chamber, resting on his bed, having refused to go to the medical ward to await Karin's attention. He would never admit it, but that place gave him the creeps. The level of experimentation that Kabuto and Orochimaru had dabbled their twisted minds and hands into was disturbing, and Sasuke avoided the labs and everything else at all costs. All he wanted was training, and then he would leave this place just like he left Konoha.

Upon her arrival Karin wordlessly got down to business, and Sasuke didn't engage her. She was studiously avoiding his gaze as he sat up and allowed her to scan over him as she shifted impatiently from one foot to another, and he took advantage of the fact to observe her more closely. Her eyes looked tired, like she wasn't sleeping well, or there was something worrying her. He had discovered through his own methods that Karin's main responsibility was the care of a Hyuga who supposedly carried the child of the deceased Hiashi, and wondered if Karin's current state of fatigue was due to some complication involving the woman.

"Here," Karin's clipped voice interrupted his thoughts. "Bite me." She thrust her hand towards his face causing him to flinch back in surprise. His eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline as he looked from her tired scowl to her thin arm and back again. "Come on, I don't have all day. The Hyuga woman is restless and has been bitching all night. I'm tired. I want to go to sleep while I can. Just bite me and get this over with."

Sasuke gently pushed her pale arm away from his face. "Pass."

She grabbed his cheeks, pinching his face hard enough to pucker his lips like a fish and his eyes flew open in shock. No one had ever touched him like that.

"Listen pretty boy," she snarled with sudden venom. "You're not the only 'special' person here. I am an Uzumaki, cursed with a gift for healing that has saved many unworthy men so that they may live to perpetuate the despicable deeds of that disgusting excuse for a Sannin. I've seen the way you look at him and his little puppet. I know you see them for what they are. And unless you can stay strong and continue to train, there is no hope for the rest of us. You may see yourself as one lone wolf out in the world seeking only to avenge your family and your pride. But the reality is you walked into a snake pit full of trapped mice, and without you our hope of ever seeing the light of day again is lost. So suck it up! We all are doing what we can to survive and hold onto the hope that there is something left for us beyond the walls of this hell!"

His mouth was gaping with his surprise and her firm grip, and suddenly she jammed her forearm between his teeth and slammed his jaw down upon it with enough force to pierce her flesh.

The intoxicating rush of her chakra flooding his body had him sucking in his breath at the unexpected rapture. His head swam with the bliss of health as he felt his body ramp up and his skin tingled with a level of euphoria that he had only flirted with in the most heated of battles. He hardly registered the groan that he emitted as he reflexively sunk his teeth deeper into her skin and groped for a foothold in his whirling mind.

The waves of rhapsody slowly ebbed away as his vision focused again, and he found himself leaning heavily against her body, forehead firmly planted on her abdomen and clutching her waist as she swayed dizzily between his spread legs. Her panting exhalations fanned the hair on the crown of his head and her fingernails were digging into his shoulders in a painfully pleasant way, or was it just the remnants of her chakra that made him feel as though every touch was the most intense sensation he had ever felt in his entire life?

"I-I have to go," she choked out in a strangled voice full of a vulnerability that was at odds with everything she exuded in her day to day behavior. Sasuke blinked in tipsy stupefaction as he watched her rush out of his room.

* * *

They never spoke of it again. Whenever he crossed paths with her in the long hallways she merely adjusted her glasses and looked away to hide the pink of her cheeks. But he never stopped watching her.

Then came that day.

She had burst into his room, nearly hysterical, completely out of character with her normally brusque demeanor, and collapsed onto the floor, sliding down the shut door and hugging her knees like a child hiding from a monster.

He had frozen, unsure of what to do, but crept towards her all the same, feeling the need to make her heart wrenching sobs cease.

"He's dead, oh Kami, he's dead," she wept into her hands, and Sasuke frowned in confusion. Death was not a stranger to this hell hole of a hideout, but he had never known Karin to care before.

"Get a hold of yourself," he demanded rather gruffly, not familiar at all with how to console a grieving person. "Tell me what happened."

As the story unfolded Sasuke's fury boiled. All the shinobi, and other miscreants, that he had come across in his months here with The Snake were volunteers of varying degrees of intelligence. People who had sought out Orochimaru or allowed themselves to be recruited under delusions of false grandeur, but volunteers all the same. But this Hyuga woman was truly a captive, and her child was destined to be nothing more than a pawn in the twisted web of Orochimaru's machinations.

At least he _was_ , until today. It seemed that there had been a complication, and the child had died within the womb, and the heartless Kabuto had forced Karin to participate in the delivery of the stillborn, only to witness him rip the child from the grieving mother's arms. Sasuke felt his Sharingan flare at the thought of any child being taken from its mother, its only family, dead or alive. Thoughts of his own mother flashed through his mind and he reflexively reached out to Karin, not fully comprehending how he knew, but understanding that she needed him.

"He-he took the baby's eyes," she cried into his chest, not hesitating to accept the comfort of his awkward embrace. "That's all he wanted anyways, the fucking piece of shit! And now she won't eat, she won't drink, she's dying for her child, and I have nothing to offer her. Damn it!" Her hands gripped his arm as she nearly screamed in anger. "I hate this place! I hate them! I hate their plans! I would do anything to stop them, anything to give her peace…"

Sasuke couldn't agree more, but the words stuck in his throat. All he could do was pat her back as she sobbed into him, while his mind raced with plans of his own. He had come her looking for power, slaughtering the innocent was never part of his plans for raising himself higher. It was exactly the kind of evil he sought to punish. This whole operation Orochimaru and Kabuto maintained was not about increasing power through training and learning, this was about manipulating the weak to serve the strong, while stealing everything in between. Power was about going up against the best to prove your worth, prove your strength, and thereby prove the justice of your beliefs. This was…despicable. The curse mark throbbed on his neck, but after the months of mental and physical training he easily subdued it, navigating the lustful inclination for blood towards his own purposes.

As his thoughts whirled and the realization of his circumstances became clearer in his mind, Sasuke held Karin until she fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Several days later during another training exercise Sasuke overheard Kabuto reporting to Orochimaru. The Hyuga woman was fading, her desire to live seemingly sapped by the loss of her baby and the continued absence of Hiashi, which she took as an act of disapproval of her failure to deliver a healthy child. This was all unsurprising to the Uchiha, based on what he had learned already. It was The Snake's response that made his gut twist.

"Put her in a coma. We will just have to inseminate her in order to obtain more children. But under no circumstances are you to let her die."

* * *

The plan was simple. The best ones always were. But even the best laid plans could be difficult to carry out.

Sasuke grunted as he leapt to the next tree branch, the body on his back heavy and unwieldy with its dead weight. The moonlight was all that lit their path as they worked their way swiftly through the dense forest.

"How much further?" he grunted, not looking but knowing Karin was next to him, the small bundle clutched tightly in her arms.

"Another ten minutes. Don't worry, we aren't being followed."

They stopped at the edge of a meadow, blanketed in the snow of the late winter. The ground glowed in the full moonlight that gleamed off of the sparkling white scenery as Sasuke gently dropped his burden onto the ground.

"There, by the two tall trees," Karin whispered from beside him. He nodded wordlessly and with a quick _katon_ jutsu the snow was melted away and the earth lay exposed. The months of training with multiple natures had paid off in an odd way, as Sasuke used a simple _doton_ to carve out a single, deep grave, and the two of them reverently laid the mother and child to rest in each others' arms, wrapped in a woolen maroon blanket.

They worked quickly, always aware of the possibility of being caught. Sasuke stood watch as Karin carefully carved the mother and child's _kaimyo_ into the fresh powder nearby, a temporary but safe homage to the tragedy of human greed.

Her sniffling followed him all the way back to the hideout. As they neared the last kilometer to the secret entrance, Sasuke stopped abruptly on a branch. Karin landed next to him, perplexed, but silent as she continued to struggle to get her emotions under control.

"You did the right thing," Sasuke said, bluntly attempting to offer comfort despite his obvious lack of skill in the area. "She was begging to see Hiashi, and her babe, and her life was already withering as it was. You spared her from an existence of suffering at Kobuto's hands."

Karin stared blankly ahead, then lifted her gaze up to the cloudless sky, her breath puffing out like clouds in the freezing midnight air.

"I am an abomination," she whispered. "I was meant to be a healer, gifted with a kekkei genkai that can bring life back to those whose soul is already reaching for the embrace of the Shinigami. But what have I to show for my honor? I take life from the innocent. Save the wicked. I am doomed."

Sasuke moved without thinking, sensing that she was on the edge of some fateful decision that could end her existence, remove her from him permanently. And for some reason he couldn't bear the thought. Couldn't comprehend the idea of walking down the halls and not running into her beaming red hair. Of entering that cold medical wing and not feeling her warm fiery presence. Her faith in him, her hope in his ability to free her, it was all that got him out of bed some days. The desire to see her safe was an inexplicable dream that haunted his sleep more and more often.

"You are a survivor," he grit out between clenched teeth, and she turned her flat expression towards his face. "You are a mercy in the harsh reality of this world. A candle in the darkness. It takes a strong soul to bear the sufferings of the wounded and sick, and your gift is not in your ability to heal them but in your capacity to care, despite the lack of caring you received in return."

Her red eyes widened in open dismay and surprise, the vulnerability she kept so carefully hidden behind the facade of harsh anger on full display in her unguarded expression. The burden of the suffering she shouldered resonated in Sasuke's soul, and he automatically reached for her, pulling her to him, knowing how it felt to be so alone, and so scared of showing it.

"Don't give up," he murmured into her hair, as she fell apart anew against him. "I will never give up, I will end this. I will deliver justice for all of us. Just don't give up on yourself. Don't give up on me…"

Her arms wrapped around him as she whispered the thing she never thought she would ever say again. "I…I believe you."


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**Chapter 28**

Training with Jiraiya was the hardest thing Naruto had ever done in his entire life. The man was a walking oxymoron of shinobi values. He would train Naruto into the ground all day, then abandon him with a massive pile of reading at night that made Naruto's eyes want to cross while the pervert frolicked with the decadent ladies of the night and drank himself into a stupor. Naruto learned to hide both his own and Jiraiya's ryo as the only way to keep the man from wandering off. It was Naruto's first lesson in the ways of the world: that a man could be a fantastic shinobi, a wonderful sensei, a decent friend, and a lousy man, all at the same time. But he couldn't help but adore Jiraiya, faults and all. The man's blunt approach to life was a refreshing change from the ever guarded faces, hidden motives and politics of the village. He saw why his godfather preferred the open world over the closed in village. Out here no one knew who you were, no one had preconceived ideas about you before you ever opened your mouth. The value of your acquaintance rested solely upon the deeds and words you presented upon the first meeting. It was refreshing.

The spy network was a delicious puzzle of tangled connections that Naruto found to be surprisingly tantalizing. He had always been extroverted and every new contact was another specimen of humanity that broadened his ever growing mental picture of the landscape of society beyond Konoha's looming walls. Jiraiya thrust Naruto into the midst of his dealings with no reservations, knowing that the teenager's thick skin, naive understanding of relationships, and insatiable curiosity could all be fine tuned into a mastery of reading between the lines. The kid had a natural gift for understanding people's emotions, his empathy knew no bounds, and as an added bonus he lacked any kind of hubris whatsoever.

Jiraiya dragged him through every bar, brothel, market, casino, restaurant, factory, farm, and forest in the land of Fire. Forcing him to meet all possible variations of the diverse threads that wove together the tapestry of humanity. Naruto's mind was blown over and over as he listened to the tales and motivations that made each unique person tick. Their experiences varied as widely as their reactions, and his own internal moral compass honed in on his individual sense of right and wrong. He absorbed each perspective and used it to build upon his ever growing understanding of what it meant to do good in an evil world. He learned that doing the right thing at the wrong time could be just as disastrous as intentionally doing harm. Naruto saw that justice was not always served. That at times, revenge was best served cold. And in some instances there came a point when one must shake the dust of a place off your feet and move on. Not everyone wanted to be saved.

Through it all, Naruto maintained his sunny disposition. He solidified in his own mind the belief that everyone started out intrinsically good, and then became molded by their reactions to the world around them and their circumstances in life. He came to the conclusion that it was possible to be a good person who still does bad things for the good of others. He thought of Itachi often at these times. And in his broadening understanding of what it meant to survive in this imperfect planet, he grew increasingly sympathetic towards those left to clean up after the greedy machinations of others. His idealistic dreams of being a Hokage that eradicated the world of all evil matured into a desire to create a balanced world where people still had the freedom to make their own choices, but would face the consequences of their actions, and never take that freedom from another. Where people were satisfied in their daily need for love, companionship, and sustenance, so that they never felt desperate enough to rob their neighbor to feed their family.

The reality was that this world was not perfect, life was not fair, every man was not going to become rich. But if they were given _enough_ , perhaps the balance could be maintained. Sauntering through the elite casinos where hookers threw themselves at any man who could afford them, and also meandering through the vast countryside of the humble farmers who happily went to bed with their wives every night, Naruto saw that simplicity was a source of contentment. That power was not satisfaction.

As the Sannin and his disciple wandered through the various hovels of humanity they trained, studied, and expanded the web of Jiraiya's spy network. Everywhere they went Naruto always carried a book in his back pocket. He chuckled to himself at how much Dog would taunt him to see the way he easily navigated through the streets of a strange place, whiskered face buried in the pages of another text on _fuuinjutsu_ that was filled in with his father's notes along all the margins. He swapped his chunin vest for a dark hooded jacket to hide his bright hair, and for the first time in his life Naruto went unnoticed through his day to day interactions with townspeople and ninja alike.

At least he thought so.

Someone had been following him. He could sense them on the edges of his awareness. It would flicker, like a sputtering candle, barely strong enough to prick his awareness. He made a note of the presence, its passive tone, but it never approached, and so he always continued on his way.

One night when Jiraiya had absconded to the local bathhouse with a few ryo that Naruto had won off an oblivious roadside trickster who thought himself smarter than a shinobi, the ever hungry teenager left his frustratingly scarce research of his father's _Hiraishin_ behind in the hotel and went in search of a late night snack.

As he meandered like a lazy shadow through the crowds of the busy red light district he kept his gaze ahead, ignoring the women dancing in the windows along the street. Jiraiya had taught him that places such as these were where information slipped easily from loose lips and so the two were frequent visitors of such dens of sin, but tonight was not about business but dinner. And Naruto only ever had one woman on his mind.

The latest letter he had written for Hime was burning a hole in his pocket. Naruto had tried to maintain communication with her as often as possible, but the secret nature of their objectives within the spy network necessitated that their location remain a mystery. Jiraiya was meeting with an important contact tonight regarding info about the Akatsuki group from Amegakure, and would be sending a scroll to Tsunade tomorrow. Naruto planned to bribe the messenger toad to make an extra delivery for him, which only added to his need to find some snacks at this late hour.

In the midst of the throngs of mostly men wandering the streets, he picked up on the now familiar presence. It was blipping in and out of his sensory range, and curiosity peaked, Naruto focused and expanded his awareness. They were definitely following him, flickering in a way that would intentionally grab any shinobi's attention. It seemed they had decided to finally make contact.

Now familiar with the surreptitious meetings of Jiraiya's many contacts, Naruto followed protocol and paused in front of a window with a dark haired woman in a matching set of white undergarments that left little to the imagination. But his stare was blank, eyes focused on the reflection of the window which showed a high collared figure, who's red eyes flashed and then disappeared down a side street. _Gotcha_.

At the end of the alley, a drunk stumbled out from the corner, stuffing himself back into his pants as he staggered back towards the noise of the night. Naruto barely resisted wrinkling his nose at the smell of vomit and urine that pervaded the narrow space, but it offered the privacy that many contacts needed to feel safe.

Naruto casually posted up by the brick wall, pretending to relieve himself as he whistled out a specific tune that only those within the circle of Jiraiya's trust would know.

The answering melody was perfectly on point, and in an instant Naruto flashed through the hand signs that set the privacy seal into place.

"I'm kinda hungry so let's make this quick," he said quickly. He had learned that most contacts had no interest in small talk or friendly attempts at bonding. "Whatcha got for me?"

An object was tossed to him and he easily snatched it out of the air, turning it in his hand to see it in the dim glow of the distant streetlight. The symbol of Konohagakure with a slash carved across it looked back at him from the hitae-ate. Naruto's fingers clamped around the all too familiar forehead protector, and he instantly ramped his senses up to max level.

_Kyuubi, if I'm not mistaken this is—_

**Ah, I see him Kit. It is not a fake. But look at him, he is not here for a fight.**

_How did he know about the signal? I would remember if he was one of Ero-sennin's contacts. He must have been watching for longer than I thought._

**Stay on guard, but I see no need to be jumpy. The last thing I feel like doing tonight is healing your sorry ass after a fight.**

Naruto chose not to acknowledge the dig at his aptitude in battle. No matter how well he and the Fox got along, the bijuu never seemed to tire of mocking him. Instead he gave his complete focus over to the unexpected visitor before him.

"Uchiha Itachi. What made you finally decide to show yourself?" The shadows moved and a man barely taller than himself broke away from the wall of the dank alley and approached Naruto. His stance was lax, but the power of his chakra was undeniable. The red clouds of his cloak were barely discernible in the dim light, and only the glow of his Sharingan gave him away as something separate from the night itself.

"A warning," his voice was flat, low, and just loud enough to reach Naruto's ears. "The Akatsuki is on the move. They have taken the jinchuriki from Taki, and seek you in earnest as you wander outside the protection of your village."

"Tell me something I don't know," Naruto huffed, crossing his arms. They had in fact only just found out about the Nanabi being captured yesterday, which had prompted their stop in this place to seek out more information. But Itachi didn't need to know that. "What do they want with us? What is the point of all this killing?"

"It depends on who is asked," was Itachi's vague response. "Leader says Peace, but there is another, behind the face of the puppet, who seeks something more, something baser. I have suspected that they had ties with Konoha, but I cannot be sure if that is currently or in the past. For now, you should know that your contact at the Blooming Lotus is a plant. The Akatsuki has infiltrated your network within this village and you need to leave, now. Disappear for a time, while this group refocuses on other prizes."

"I don't particularly like the idea of hiding while others fight my battles," Naruto growled. He had no qualms with being honest with Uchiha Itachi. If anyone knew what it was to face the harsh realities of shinobi life it was this man. Despite his fervent belief that the rogue nin standing before him was nothing short of a martyred hero, he didn't trust his neck to the man, and couldn't say he agreed with all his solutions.

"It is not about running, it is about survival," Itachi didn't react in the slightest to his subtle anger. "You are not strong enough to face the Akatsuki as you are now, and here amongst the civilians would not be an ideal time or place for a battle. You must become stronger if you are to protect those precious to you."

"Do you protect them as well?" Naruto couldn't help but question this fallen prodigy. This valiant murderer, who bore his shame with no regret and walked the outskirts of humanity as a reward for his deeds. Naruto's voice softened minutely and his stance relaxed. "I know what you did Itachi, and while I see you, the rest of the world does not. If it is forgiveness you seek by helping me, I fear that the peace of mind you desire will not come from my lips. Only Sasuke can offer such forgiveness. I can only attest to my own understanding of your motives, and assure you we continue to seek the same prize: peace."

The man was quiet, studying Naruto with his now black eyes that seemed to hold such sadness within them. The heat of the warm, late summer night seemed to not bother him in the least as he stood unblinking before Naruto in his heavy black cloak that hid his lean frame.

"Leave Sasuke to me." The words were soft and quiet. "It is I who overestimated him, I who scarred him, I who broke him. It is my duty to correct my mistakes, in whatever manner I can." His eyes fell to the scratched hitae-ate in Naruto's hand, and his mouth flattened into a thin line that reminded the blond of how Sasuke looked when he was pushing himself to master a difficult new jutsu.

"In the meantime, heed my warning, Namikaze Naruto. It is necessary to trust others until you have become strong enough to reward their loyalty." His body began to break apart into a murder of crows that one by one flew off into the night. Naruto bravely kept his gaze locked onto the swirling glow of Itachi's activating Sharingan, which stabbed his heart not with some deadly genjutsu, but with their weariness and resolve. Just as the last crow with crimson eyes stretched his wings, Naruto tossed the hitae-ate into the air and watched it snatch the object up in its beak before disappearing from view.

He stood in the empty alley for a moment, mulling over the words from the universally vilified shinobi, and debating their merit. Trust was not natural for a shinobi. It was as ever shifting as the wind. The source was never constant and it could change on you in an instant. It could destroy what you had carefully built or it could blow away a fog and reveal the realities hidden by the lies you had never been able to see through. It was powerful yet refreshing. Devastating yet rejuvenating. It was impossible to see, it had to be felt.

Shoving his hands into his pockets Naruto merged back into the flow of human traffic, ducking his head as he ignored the raucous revelers of the night and instead focused on locating Ero-sennin. Uchiha Itachi's truths were a wind that could easily blow one far off course of their preconceived path, such as what happened with Sasuke. But they could also reveal so much more if one took the time to navigate its intricacies so it could fill your sails and accelerate you towards your true purpose.

Picking up Jiraiya's signature and noting the multiple shinobi slowly closing in on the most likely buzzed Sannin, Naruto picked up his pace and hopped up to the rooftops. A grin spread across his face as the wind blew back his hood to reveal the flash of his own red slitted eyes and his _futon_ nature swirled like a burgeoning typhoon within his gut.

He rather liked the wind.

* * *

Naruto raced through the forest, abandoning all pretense of stealth as he felt her chakra twinkling on the edges of his senses. _Hime_. He couldn't stop the silly smile from spreading across his whiskered face as he punched through another cluster of branches, sending leaves scattering to the forest floor.

It had been nearly a full year since he had last laid eyes on his best friend, the letters he had been able to slip to her along with the few updates from Ero-sennin to Baa-chan seemed like a paltry representation of the longing he felt in his heart for her presence. The last note he had received from her had knotted the worry in his chest. The Hyuga had split into two factions, unofficial ones, but very much real in how deeply they divided the clan and council. One favored the tradition of sealing, saying that the Byakugan was too precious and too coveted to leave vulnerable and unprotected. They proposed reinstating the act of sealing all clan members, this time not excluding the Main Branch, which would make it impossible to activate the punishment associated with subservience. But the other side staunchly demanded that no seal be used at all. That the brand itself was a mark of shame and any possibility of having the seal activated was too much of a risk. They favored the idea that a person should be responsible for their own welfare and protection, similar to the way the Uchiha had approached the defense of their Sharingan.

Hinata was torn between the two. Having been the victim of an attempt on her life and freedom simply for the sake of her bloodline, she knew better than to naively believe that an unguarded treasure was safe. Despite the fact that only the strongest Hyuga ever activated their Byakugan and went on to become shinobi, the genetic potential remained in every child born. And to simply ignore the threat of another country's envious plots was a mistake. She favored the idea of a new seal, one that could be applied painlessly to any child, discreetly placed so as not to draw attention, but easily revealed if desired, so that it could serve as a statement to anyone who dared covet their _kekkei genkai_. A mark of being Hyuga, a mark of pride and protection. A symbol of a unified Clan that valued their own and did not hesitate to shield them, even if they were not able to care for themselves. Naruto had agreed wholeheartedly, and easily reading between the lines, had turned his attention to fashioning just such a unique seal.

But Naruto's free time was scarce. Ever since Itachi's warning, and the ensuing brawl that only served to confirm his words, the jinchuriki and his mentor had departed for Mt. Myoboku. There, Jiraiya had introduced Naruto to a dazzling world of potential, filled with Toads that had knowledge of eons past. Together with Fukasaku and Gamakichi, the Sannin had trained Naruto in the Sage arts of the Toads all day, and drilled him with sealing theory at night. Shima had filled the boy's brain with tales of history, weaving her stories into the events that had led to the current state of the five great shinobi nations, even as she tried to fill his stomach with her cooking. For the first time in his life Naruto found his appetite for knowledge greater than his hunger for food. If one could describe the disgusting meals so generously.

The Sage training was practically intuitive, the long hours of meditation that Neji had forced him to do as a child in order to hone his natural sensing abilities greatly aided in his mastery of Nature Energy. Jiraiya had shown Naruto a small stockpile of journals that had belonged to his father, the same carefully guarded library that he had been plucking books from ever since he had given Naruto his first introductory book on _fuuinjutsu_. The first thing that had caught the teenager's eager mind was the theoretical notes on the _Hiraishin_ , and after that the Sannin had to practically knock the kid out to get him to put the thing away and sleep.

The weeks had slipped by in a blur, until one day Naruto was summoned by the Great Toad himself. The teenager had spent his sixteenth birthday slack jawed as he was bestowed with a gift he had never imagined receiving, a prophecy that he would save the world. Standing in awe and harboring no small amount of skepticism that he could ever be worthy of such a role, Naruto had been speechless when Jiraiya introduced Gerotora, who presented him with the key to kyuubi's seal. The myriad of arrays had spun before his wide eyes as he took in the mind boggling complexities of the seal and its key. While he stood gaping at the masterful creation the toad had taken the opportunity to make his unholy departure down Naruto's gullet, leaving the birthday boy heaving on the floor in tears as Ero-sennin's laughter echoed throughout the halls. The only one laughing louder had been the stupid Fox himself. Naruto had sworn that if he ever met his father in the afterlife he would greet him with a big ass gut punch for that dirty trick. Who the hell can conjure up such a complex masterpiece of sealing design, but not think of a better way to store the damn key?

Since that day Naruto had taken up the yoke of his destiny and decided that whether it was true or not, he would continue to pursue his own nindo and never give up on his promises to the Leaf and Hime. If that was all he ever accomplished, then at least he would not be a failure, and hopefully be able to rest in peace.

They had wintered in Mt. Myoboku, Jiraiya making short trips back to the Land of Fire to briefly make contact with his network while Naruto juggled the many tasks he had set for himself to accomplish. He learned from his father's journals that the _Rasengan_ was actually an incomplete jutsu, and Jiraiya had nearly shit himself when he returned one night to find his disciple covered in cuts from head to toe and practically buck naked in his shredded clothing. The blond had merely grinned sheepishly, unable to even scratch the back of his neck because of the damaged nerves in his arm. Between the bitching he had to endure from the Kyuubi about having to lend him so much extra chakra for healing and from Ero-sennin about how Tsunade would kill him if he brought back a paralyzed student, Naruto had decided that his new idea for a _Rasenshuriken_ might not be the piece of cake he had imagined.

On the day he had removed the last of the bandages from his right arm, a scroll had arrived with a mission from Tsunade for Naruto, and at the mention of Hime's name he had nearly absconded on the spot to find her. Jiraiya had managed to tie him down long enough for Naruto to realize he still was lacking any decent clothing or supplies, but even so the excited teenager had not slept a wink that night.

They had stopped in a village to restock their gear and rations, Jiraiya heading for Amegakure to follow up on a lead about the Akatsuki and a possible link to some shinobi he had known there once. He had been rather vague and somber about the whole topic, which hadn't escaped Naruto's notice, but it was shuffled to the back of his mind for later contemplation in preference of daydreaming about his reunion with his teammate. They agreed to meet up afterwards in the same spot, and swiftly departed for their separate missions.

Naruto patted the pouches of his new mission gear for the hundredth time, wondering what Hime would think of him now. The sixteen year old was a carbon copy of his father. Long, lanky limbs spoke of a recent growth spurt, topped with a head of freshly trimmed bright yellow hair that spiked wildly around his suntanned face. Clear blue eyes the color of the ocean that always held a friendly expression, and one could almost see his whisker-like birthmarks twitch with mischief when he smiled. Jiraiya had demanded that he leave his days of childish jumpsuits behind, saying that if he wanted to be taken seriously in the wide network of shinobi espionage he had to blend in. Naruto had begrudgingly agreed, and settled for the standard attire of any ninja: a high-necked long sleeved dark shirt under his chunin vest and comfortable calf length pants that had room for his weapons and scrolls. But he absolutely refused to remove the red scarf. It was a gift from his best friend, and each stitch was carefully knit with her care just for him.

Now that same girl's chakra signature was getting stronger, easily discernible to the eager teenager as he somersaulted over a gnarled branch and swung underneath another to propel himself even faster. Naruto stretched out his senses, exercising the max reaches of his growing range. He could cover an entire city at this point, but with less accuracy than shorter ranges. He contemplated pushing himself into Sage Mode, but he didn't want to stop long enough to meditate and absorb the Nature Energy. Even without the boosted senses, some chakra signatures were so familiar to him, he could practically pinpoint them in his sleep.

Like hers. Whenever he had meditated, practicing expanding his range out as far as he could reach, it was always _hers_ that he sought out. He could swear there were times when he could feel her refreshing chakra sparkling like sunlight on the surface of the water, touching the extreme edges of his mind's rippling banks. He had assumed that such moments were the result of her moving around the Land of Fire completing missions. He had been sorely tempted on more than one occasion to abandon the philandering Toad Sage and steal away into the night to see if it really was her, or if it was just his homesickness playing tricks on him.

He heard a caw above his head and leapt up into the canopy, skirting the highest branches to peek over the leaves and see a large black crow with red eyes swoop down to glide by his side. Never breaking stride he easily caught the hitae-ate that it dropped from its beak, and Naruto smirked at the scratched Leaf symbol before giving the creature a salute as it banked hard and retreated the other direction. Apparently Itachi had somehow become aware of their mission, and decided to provide a better tracking scent for this mysterious beetle that Aburame Shino sought.

Tsunade Baa-chan had written that the newly promoted chunin would be the captain of the mission since he had been the one to suggest the beetle as a method of tracking down Konoha's wayward Uchiha Clan Head. Hinata had mentioned that she had frequently been sent out with him and Kiba in Sakura's place since she was practically glued to the hospital full time. The three had formed an impressive tracking unit, and combined with Naruto's sensing capabilities, the Hokage was hoping they could finally nail down and bring home his idiot teammate, and perhaps even get a lock on Orochimaru as well. Naruto held his own reservations, but the chance to work with a team again, especially one with Hime, was what propelled him through the forest at a breakneck pace towards the coordinates listed on the mission scroll.

Naruto grinned as he fingered the custom kunai in his pouch, the ones he had completed while in Mt. Myoboku, and as he felt her chakra flare in a way that signaled her active Byakugan as well as the signatures of the other two boys with her, he couldn't resist the chance to show off, just a bit.

Planting his feet sideways on a massive tree trunk he hurled the three pronged kunai with all his might and changed his body's trajectory straight up into the air. He internally counted, one, two, three, and with the ease of pinpointing the smell of Ramen on an empty stomach, latched onto the seal and disappeared.

The three shinobi had paused when Hinata had signaled that she saw him, but her sudden frown and darting gaze was their only warning before a strange looking kunai pierced the ground between them, followed by a lightning quick flash of chakra.

Naruto landed with a gust of wind, one knee planted in the grass, fingers gently grasping his weapon, scarf dancing, and whiskers prominently framing his wide smirk. He instantly rushed his Hime, sweeping her up into his arms and swinging her around in a full circle with his momentum. He laughed loudly at her shocked squeaks that he had missed so much and gave her a rib cracking hug before finally setting her down and getting a good look at her.

What he saw had him forgetting how to breathe for a moment. If it had not been for the unmistakable feeling of her cherished chakra, he would have had to look twice, thrice even, to recognize her.

Midnight blue hair had grown nearly to her waist, shining and loose as it swirled around her in the blast of wind his abrupt entrance had created. Her mission gear was new, black fitted shinobi trousers under a short lavender colored kimono in the Hyuga style that matched the unique tint of her eyes, which were wide as saucers as she craned her neck up to look into his bright eyes. The thick black obi around her waist displayed her figure in a way that made his stomach flip unexpectedly.

"N-N-Naruto-kun?" The blush that bloomed across her cheeks spread over her face and she looked like she might be ready to faint. _That would be a first in a long time,_ he thought, but chuckled as he instinctively pulled her close before she tipped. It was a mistake. With her chest pressed against his own Naruto was suddenly very aware of another aspect of his Hime that had changed since the last time they met. Color flared up his own neck as he gulped, _those are new_.

Reluctantly releasing her from the distractingly pleasant embrace, Naruto focused on her eyes, and felt the restless anxiety that was the undercurrent of all his excitement melt away. No amount of words on paper could ever replace the way she could talk to him with her eyes. He forgot about everything else and absorbed the feelings she let him read directly from her heart, since she too was still unable to form words. She was glowing with joy and confidence, but there was a hint of nervousness as well, which he more than understood himself. Naruto smiled down at her, the honesty of his own surprise and delight revealed in his shining blue gaze. He grabbed her hands and swept his chakra through her network like a gust of wind and she washed hers over him like a spring shower. The months melted away, they were together and it was like they had never been apart. Suddenly the world just felt _right_.

"Subtle. You even put Lee's 'dynamic entry' to shame," from behind him Naruto heard Kiba snickering and turned to see the two members of Team Eight who had also stopped to greet the wandering chunin.

"Impressed already Dog-breath?" Naruto laughed and turned to the approaching Inuzuka and his _massive_ white dog. The two clapped hands and thumped each other on the back. "What the hell have you been feeding Akamaru? I've seen livestock smaller than this guy." The ninken barked and leaned hard into Naruto's hand as he aggressively scratched behind the furry brown ears. Kiba laughed loudly, "he says foxes should watch themselves unless they want to end up hunted by a hound."

"Ha! Anytime, anywhere!" Naruto danced back and forth as Akamaru snapped playfully at the red tails of his scarf, but his challenge went unanswered when a deep voice interrupted their goofiness.

"Kiba has a point, Naruto. For while we are all appreciative of your cooperation, you will need to be quieter. Why, you ask?" Shino raised a single finger to adjust the dark glasses on his nose, causing them to somehow catch the light in a slightly threatening flash. "Because you will scare away all the local arthropods."

"The what now?" Naruto froze mid-leap and scrunched up his face at the hooded captain in frank confusion.

"The insects, Naruto-kun," Hinata translated, having found her voice. "That's why we are here, remember? To find the Bikochu and have it use this to lead us to Sasuke." She bent down to her pack that she had dropped when Naruto had glomped her, pulling out a wrist guard with storage seals on it that Naruto had given the Asshole for his 15th birthday. He couldn't help but scowl at the article, remembering his naive expectation that the gift was a symbol of their growing bond as friends and teammates. The Teme hadn't even worn the thing that long before he left it and them behind for good.

"Where'd you find that thing?" He huffed, taking it from Hinata and wondering if there was anything still sealed within it.

"Sakura. She won't admit it but I'm pretty sure she demolished his apartment in search of clues after he left. She just couldn't accept that he had willingly walked away. It was difficult for all of us, for lots of different reasons." Naruto didn't miss the bitter tone of her words and smiled slightly. In her letters Hime had not held back from voicing her fury at their teammate for selfishly abandoning the village and hurting his comrades in the process. Her emotions after the incident had been much less shocked and tended to lean more towards murderously infuriated.

"How is she these days?" Naruto asked, pulling out the scratched hitae-ate that Itachi's crow had given him and holding it and the wrist guard out for Akamaru to assess.

"Busy, I pretty much only see her when we attend the chakra healing training sessions they've started offering. But she likes it that way. She and Shizune-neechan have really become close. Hokage-sama is so busy with the village, the two of them are really the ones running the hospital these days. She's a very talented medic, her research into poisons and various uses for chakra therapy is way ahead of everyone beside Shizune-neechan and Tsunade-sama." As Hinata spoke she was stepping closer, her eyes narrowing on the new object and the way Akamaru was distinctly pointing at it instead of the wrist guard.

"Oh? And does all that work leave Neechan time to play?" Naruto's mischievous grin had Hinata returning the sly expression.

"If the permanent grin that can be seen even under Kakashi-sensei's mask is anything to go by, then yes." They snickered together at the idea of a googly eyed Dog, but Hinata quickly pointed at the hitae-ate, her curiosity peaked. "Where did you get that?"

"A bird, I'll explain later," he whispered to her, then straightened up and looked at Kiba. "What does Akamaru have to say?"

Kiba raised his eyebrows as he listened to his Ninken. "That headband is definitely Sasuke's and it has a much stronger scent. Good thing you hung onto it all this time."

"Excellent. The stronger the scent the better the odds of the Bikochu successfully locating Sasuke." Shino nodded in approval and signaled for the group to continue on, the sun was getting lower in the sky and there was still time to reach the edge of the valley and set up camp before dark.

As they swiftly moved across the countryside Naruto fell into step by his Hime's side, filling her in on his meeting with Itachi all those months ago. She listened carefully, nodding with his conclusions of Itachi's motives. Then she talked about her own work within the village, assisting Tsunade-sama and running interference amongst the Clan. She talked about her training with Neji, her expanding knowledge of medical jutsu, her nearly complete chakra bank for the Hundred Healings Mark, and her new trademark jutsu that she had been working on, but wanted to show him in person. As she animatedly filled his homesick ears with the news from around the village, his eyes were drinking her in. She had truly become a creature of grace and power. Her long hair and flowing sleeves gave her a celestial quality that made him want to worship her at her feet, while her pulsing Byakugan had a ferocity that flooded him with the urge to beg for her holy mercy. She was glorious, and his admiration was growing with every swerve of her body over the terrain. _Since when did she… **move** like that?_

Shino had them stop at a clearing with a view of the unique crater-like valley that was a haven for all kinds of strange insects. There was a river nearby and the edge of the forest offered plenty of cover from the elements.

"Yo Hinata, where do you want us to set up the campfire?" Kiba called from where he had wandered by the far side of the clearing, Akamaru bounding around him wildly.

"Over by that tree Kiba-kun, and the tent can go underneath that lower branch." Hinata smiled warmly at her frequent teammate who nodded and trotted off to gather some wood and a few rocks to ring the fire pit that Akamaru was happily digging. Naruto couldn't help the small niggling feeling of jealousy at the familiar way she addressed the other chunin, but shook it off as immature. She was _his_ Hime, no need for drama. _Right?_

Shino had unsealed a large tent from the storage scroll in his pack, and was about to shake it out when Naruto jogged over. "I can do that, just leave it to me and I'll have this place all set up in no time, dattebayo! _Kage bunshin no jutsu!_ " Suddenly there was a small swarm of Narutos rapidly clearing a spot on the ground for the tent and racing down to the river to fish for their dinner.

"That is very helpful Naruto. Why? Because as the captain of this mission, I would like to spend more time studying the map." Shino nodded at the Original and went to sit on the grass nearby, taking another scroll with him.

Naruto turned to find Hinata staring at his profile, with an almost wistful expression on her face. Embarrassed to be caught she laughed awkwardly and tucked her long hair behind her ear as she cast her gaze around for a task of her own. Snatching up another storage scroll from the pile Shino had unloaded, she waved it sheepishly in the air saying, "I'll um, just get started on the dinner preparations then." Unsealing a large pot she headed down to the water line to fill it up, shooing away more than one eager Clone that tried to pry it out of her hands.

Naruto couldn't look away as she propped the pot on one hip and swayed down to the water, nearly getting the wind knocked out of him by the heavy roll of tarp chucked in his direction. He turned and glared at the shadow clone who had thrown it and was now snickering at his distractedness. Hoisting the thing over his shoulder he stomped over to the tree Hinata had indicated and set to work.

A short while later, he had just finished tying the last corner of the tent to a tree branch before turning to hold the flap open for his clones to carry in all the bed rolls and backpacks. The _bunshins_ tossed the items onto the ground and disappeared with mock salutes.

Sighing with satisfaction, Naruto bent to pull out his own belongings when he noticed Hinata's bedroll by his feet. A thought crossed his mind, and wiggling his fingers nervously, he snatched it up and laid it next to his own, making sure to place himself between her and the other two guys. Especially Kiba. He nudged the Inuzuka's roll towards the far end of the tent with his toe. Perhaps those guys were just pretending not to notice, probably for Hime's sake, but the girl was _different_. Apparently while Naruto had been growing like a weed while traveling the Land of Fire with Ero-Sennin, his Hime had been growing as well. He knew full well what went through the mind of a hormonal teenage male, and there was no way in hell he wanted that directed at his girl—er teammate.

"Naruto-kun, the food is ready." A head of dark midnight blue hair popped into the tent and scanned the sleeping arrangements he had made.

He stood up abruptly and smashed his head into the roof of the tent, popping a few stitches at the corners. "Uh, yeah, okay, coming, hehe!" He rubbed his head bashfully at being so easily startled. Hinata stepped inside, raising a delicate eye brow and planted her hands on her shapely, round— _seriously since when did she have hips like that?_ Not needing her Byakugan to see what the blushing boy was up to, Hinata shook her head and laughed.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun, we're all just teammates here. I've been on lots of overnight missions with the boys, and they've always been perfect gentlemen." She stepped closer and giggled as she smoothed down the static electricity that was making his wild blond hair even more erratic. Naruto pouted at her easy dismissal of his overprotectiveness. What did she expect from him? The last time he had seen her she was his cute, little Hime, pure and sweet with a feisty streak that only glimpsed at her inner strength, and now... he wasn't quite sure what to make of these confusing feelings when he saw her serene confidence and staggering figure. Earlier he had flinched hard when she had ruthlessly dispelled two of his more rambunctious clones for nearly starting a water fight over who would catch more fish for dinner. She was savage, and soft, and so damn confusing, and… _Kami, am I blushing?_

"Fuck," he mumbled and rubbed his face with both hands to try and save some of his dignity. Hinata giggled and flicked him on the forehead, kinda hard actually. "Language, Naruto-kun. Now c'mon, let's eat before it gets cold." He watched her loose hair swirl around her as she slipped out of the tent. Crossing his arms, Naruto shot one more baleful glare at the other guys' sleeping bags. Glancing back at the swinging tent flap, he gave the rolls one last kick to the _far_ side of the tent.

"I saw that Naruto-kun!"

* * *

Kiba's snoring rattled his sensitive ears, dragging him back to consciousness. Naruto groaned and rolled over, pulling the pillow over his head. _How can Hime sleep through this shit?_

Lifting the corner of his pillow to peek at her, he pushed himself up onto his elbows when he noticed that her sleeping bag was empty. He reached over and patted the blanket, which held no warmth from her body, and frowned. _How long has she been gone?_

Deciding this totally justified an investigation, he crept out of the tent and leapt into the tree where one of his clones sat keeping watch. He had volunteered to keep the entire night watch with a _kage bunshin_ , since there was little need for a full shift rotation with no real threats way out here in the middle of the forest. All the nights spent awaiting a signal from one of Jiraiya's numerous contacts had honed his skill for staying awake and hiding his chakra. During a recon mission, unless you were looking for him, really hard, most ninja would have no idea he was there.

Landing silently next to the hidden clone he used hand signs to ask where Hime had gone. The clone responded in kind, _about an hour ago, two klicks upriver, I don't sense any distress, maybe she really needed to pee?_ Naruto scratched his head, he'd heard that girls could take forever in a bathroom, but he didn't think that applied to the forest?

Definitely suspicious, and slightly anxious, he _shunshined_ down to the water surface and started running up the river, keeping his chakra tightly stamped down. Closing his eyes and opening his mind, he let her presence wash over him. Her chakra was spiking and dipping, like waves in a pool after a rock had been tossed in. As he got closer he could sense that she was darting around almost as though sparring with an invisible partner, but she was the only person besides their sleeping teammates within miles. _What the hell?_

Deciding to err on the side of caution in case there was an unseen attacker that he needed to get the jump on, Naruto skimmed to a stop across the top of the water near a bend in the river, and muted his chakra down to an absolutely undetectable level that even fooled Ero-sennin. The splashing sounds of churning water grew louder as he tip-toed over a wet boulder and braced himself with chakra to the side of a tree.

What he saw, he would never forget for the rest of this life or the next. At first he thought it was some sort of water demon, he had heard of breathtakingly beautiful 'Sirens' who would lure lusting sailors to their death. Her pale skin glowed in the moonlight as she undulated to an inaudible melody that seemed to have bewitched even the water itself. Droplets spiraled around her like fairies hypnotized by her enchanting tune, alighting onto her body to caress down her torso and arms, streaming from her delicate finger tips like strands of shimmering pearls. Chakra shimmered down her body and bled into the ripples around her feet as she kicked off the surface and her gyrating figure launched into a revolution that picked up speed until it encased her in a blue vortex that curved around her shapely form. The luminescent liquid crawled up her long toned legs and conformed to her curvaceous hips, continuing up to wrap around her trim waist, finally sliding sensuously over well-rounded breasts that peeked out between a thick curtain of wet midnight blue hair— _OH BLOODY HELL!_

The very strained thread of control he had over his body as he clung to the tree, gaping at the water goddess, snapped when he realized her true identity. He fell flat on his ass and tumbled down the slippery rock into the water and froze in horror as he felt the intense blast of overpowering chakra erupting from Hime. Gasping, partially from nearly inhaling a lungful of water and also from having the wind completely knocked out of him by her powerful reaction to his intrusion, he was completely unprepared for what happened next.

Byakugan pulsing, mouth snarling, hair waving around like Medusa's serpents, arms hugging her bosom in a way that totally was not helping his body calm down, the angel of death that was Hyuga Hinata waded with absurd velocity through the waist deep water, and screamed the word he had never thought to ever hear cross her saintly lips.

"What the FUCK, _NARUTOOOOO!"_

The last thing he saw was the blazing glow of her chakra covered fingers as she _juukened_ him into oblivion.

He woke up the next day, cold and shivering on the ground where she had dragged and dumped his unconscious body next to the banked fire, with Akamaru sniffing at his drool covered face. Naruto had barely been able to lift himself up to crawl into the empty tent and change his clothes before stiffly limping over to join Kiba and Shino by the now crackling fire.

"Seriously dude, what the hell did you do?" Kiba leaned over and whispered harshly to the inexplicably skittish blond. "I've never seen her do that to anyone other than a training dummy before. I would be dead right now if that was me."

Three pairs of eyes followed the chillingly silent kunoichi as she moved about the other side of the campsite. Lavender eyes flashed over their way and Kiba would have sworn the jinchuriki next to him whimpered.

_This is ridiculous_ , Kiba grumbled internally as he thoughtfully ran the tip of his tongue over a sharp canine. He'd been working with Hinata a lot ever since Naruto had left to go train with the Sannin Jiraiya, and had easily picked up on the fact that she had some complicated feelings for her friend. He would never admit it but Kiba was a complete closet romantic, and Shino was just as bad. The two swapped _Icha Icha_ books and secretly discussed the finer points of the intricate plots whenever they were unobserved. After watching one teammate suffer through the throws of unrequited love, when they had heard about the new mission and seen the anticipation twinkling in Hinata's eyes, they had immediately agreed to facilitate this newest potential romance in whatever way they could. Seeing as how Hinata had literally dragged Naruto's comatose carcass back to camp and dumped him like a pile of wet laundry had put a distinct damper on their little side mission.

Kiba took in the crestfallen expression on Naruto's whiskered face and decided to try a different approach, "C'mon man, this is Hinata we're talking about! Sweet, little Hinata-chan! How bad could it be?"

Naruto gripped his knees so hard his knuckles turned white as he whispered in a trembling voice, "She said the F word."

Shino emitted a girlishly high gasp of horror.

"My. God." Kiba uttered, and Akamaru hid under his paws with a whimper.

Returning to the fireside after retrieving a scroll from her pack, Hinata primly began to lay out the food she had unsealed from it for breakfast. The three boys sat huddled together, instinctively seeking strength in numbers. They watched her warily as she neatly dished out several homemade _onigiri_ that were each elaborately decorated to resemble the individual members of the team.

Sharply lifting her head she pierced Naruto with her formidable pearly orbs, and smoothly reached for a rice ball that bore a striking resemblance to the fearful blond. Never breaking eye contact, she raised the edible mini clone made of rice to her mouth. Naruto caught his breath and swallowed hard as she slowly licked her lips, unblinkingly holding his blue gaze as a dainty pink tongue poked out to gently lick the treat.

In a sudden flash of teeth she viciously bit off his face, chewing menacingly while glaring white death into his very soul.

**Kit, if you don't make that woman your mate, I will.**

_That's disgusting. And you can't mate without me anyways!_

**For a woman like that, I'd find a way.**

_Shut up you perverted Fox! You're not helping!_

Kiba slapped the pale, hunched jinchuriki on the back with brotherly pity. Shino clicked his teeth in disappointment with a small shake of his head. Akamaru snorted, almost tauntingly. Naruto sighed heavily as he watched the woman of his dreams and nightmares devour his delicious face for breakfast.

"Girls are scary, dattebayo."


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I own the lyrics at the end of the chapter, they belong to NEEDTOBREATHE**

**CHAPTER 29**

They spent the rest of the day scouting throughout the lush valley for the small beetle that held the key to finding their revenge bent teammate. Naruto quickly realized that his sensory skills did not cover chakraless bugs, and so compensated with his eyes. Shino became an arthropod sensei to a class of blond clones that blinked and squinted at pictures of the Bikochu before bounding off into the forest under threat of maintaining max stealth.

The Original Naruto struggled to stay focused, the valley was large and his section was on the opposite side from Hime's. He could feel her chakra, but she remained focused on her task, a true shinobi, even under stress. Naruto sighed and did the same, the sooner they found this damn bug, the sooner he could corner her and get this all straightened out. Besides, it was gonna take some time for him to look her in the eye without images of last night assaulting his brain. Once, when he came upon a small pool with a delicate stream dripping into it, he had been mesmerized by the overlaying memory of the way those water droplets had slid over her skin like they were carving a path to glory. Kami only knows how long he would have stared at the ripples in that pond if the Fox's cackling laughter hadn't roused him from his stupor.

After spending hours finding plenty of creepy crawlers but no Magical Avenger Sniffing Bug, Shino had called it a day as the sun sank into the sky. Leaping back towards camp, Kiba split off from the group to check some of the traps Naruto's clones had set that morning. But before he dropped back he paused by Naruto's side and aggressively jerked his chin towards Hinata's straight back, mouthing the words, _Talk to her Baka!_

Naruto scowled and rolled his eyes. "I will, I will! I just gotta find the right moment!" he hissed back, and Kiba flashed him a fang-toothed grin and waggled his eyebrows before disappearing with Akamaru into the forest. Naruto chuckled and sighed, his gaze settling on Hinata's flowing hair as he followed her back to the campsite. He was certain she was watching him with her Byakugan, and he didn't hide his pensive and hopeful expression as he stared at her leaping form.

As they landed back in the clearing, Shino had quickly claimed the job of collecting more firewood and disappeared, leaving Naruto to fumble around in his pockets for a supply scroll and set to work rekindling the banked flames. Hinata was shuffling around inside the tent, the rustle of her backpack the only sound he could hear over the snap of the twigs he was breaking somewhat over aggressively to feed to the growing fire.

Hinata emerged from the tent and glanced over at Naruto where he knelt by the ring of stones, her shoulders slumped more than usual as she fiddled with whatever object it was that she had retrieved from her pack. She looked like she wanted to say something, but every time she started to open her mouth no sound came out, and she would snap her lips shut.

Naruto was miserable with the tension that had grown between them. He had been looking forward to seeing her again for months and now it was just so fucking awkward and it was all his fault. Why couldn't he have just trusted that she could take care of herself? She had done nothing to demonstrate that she was anything but a strong, powerful, intelligent kunoichi who was comfortable in her own skin and respected by her teammates. And what had he done since showing up? Messed with their team dynamics by insinuating that she couldn't even sleep next to the boys, like they were just horny academy students or something. And then stalked her into the forest in the dead of night as she went about her own private business, obviously choosing a time to avoid any interruptions. His desire to protect her like a precious treasure had overruled his common sense. And he really should have walked away as soon as he saw she was naked, even if he hadn't realized it was her right away. He was no pervert! But his mind had definitely not been thinking rationally. What man could when presented with the breathtaking sight of the moonlight dancing across her wet skin, and the glistening trails of water sliding down in between her... _DAMNIT_.

Physically smacking himself in the head he darted a look at Hinata to see if she had noticed his blush, and _motherfucker_ he was blushing like an idiot. But her back was to him and she was walking down to the riverbank with her yoga mat that he had given her for her 11th birthday clutched tightly under her arm. Mezmerized by her smooth gait and gleaming hair in the glow of the setting sun, Naruto missed the silent arrival of Shino.

"I will take over tending the fire," he said, startling Naruto slightly as he dropped an armload of wood by his side. "Why? Because you have a more important task to complete." His dark glasses flashed emphatically and despite not being able to read his features, Naruto smiled at the hint of kindness in the deep monotone voice. He slapped the hooded shinobi on the shoulder and mumbled out his thanks as he stood, nervously huffing a sharp breath like a runner at the starting line before trotting to the shore after his friend.

Hinata's mind was a tangle of thoughts and emotions as she trudged down to the river's edge. Today had been awful. Shame pricked her conscience as she thought of how her lingering anger had overruled her good manners and led to the ruining of the surprise _onigiri_ she had put so much work into. Perhaps a good workout would help her settle her mind and then she could have a decent conversation with Naruto-kun, hopefully salvaging what time they had left together. She reached the water's edge and took several deep cleansing breaths, focusing on the soothing ebb of the small waves on the shoreline before bending to lay out her mat on the flat sandy bank. When she heard his footsteps behind her, she smiled a little, knowing that the only reason she even heard the soft earth scuff beneath his feet at all was because he wanted her to. It was his polite way of announcing his arrival. Unlike last night.

Hinata's cheeks burned as she recalled the mortifying moment when she had realized that the interrupting splash was not just some creature of the night but her long time crush and best friend. Her embarrassment had been so intense that she thought her face was going to explode, and she had lashed out with irrational fury on reflex. She was shocked and hurt that Naruto-kun would be peeping on her, and the panicked emotions had completely overrun any coherent thought in the intensity of the moment as she had charged at him with a chakra blazing fist. Hinata had heard Tsunade-sama rant about Jiraiya-sama and his perverted books and peeping habits, but Naruto had always complained about how annoying all of it was in his letters. She had trusted him to avoid the same pitfalls of his mentor.

It wasn't until the next day, after vengefully devouring his rice ball likeness as he watched in frank horror, that she had calmed down enough to really see Naruto's eyes and the depth of his remorse. She realized that whatever his intentions were as he stalked her down the river in the middle of the night, he was truly sorry. But her relentless humiliation had kept her from bringing the whole episode up again, and their mission tasks had taken priority over any personal drama, so the issue had simmered awkwardly all day long.

Now here he was, obviously as uncomfortable as she, shifting from one foot to another with his hands shoved into his pockets. He was rather adorable with the half scowl on his face, clearly attempting to look anything but nervous.

Hinata nodded to herself with renewed certainty, there was no way this boy—man—would ever do anything to make her feel taken advantage of, nor would he even consider maliciously spying on her in her private moments. He had proclaimed at the top of his lungs on more than one occasion that he would lay down his life to protect her, and she had felt the sincerity of his words in her heart. He was her Naruto-kun, her best friend, and he deserved her trust.

Deciding that acting as naturally as possible would make the following conversation that much easier, Hinata forced herself into a casual demeanor. Her hands only shook a little as she untied her obi and slipped the winding band of fabric off her waist before methodically folding it up. She could feel his gaze boring into her back, nearly burning a hole between her shoulder blades, but didn't cease her deliberate movements. She had done this a hundred times in his presence over the years, last night's fiasco shouldn't be allowed to continue to ruin a lifetime of comfortable friendship.

She bit her lip and slipped the kimono shirt off her shoulders and neatly laid it out by the folded obi, leaving her in a much more comfortable tank top and ninja trousers. Hinata fished a hair tie out of her pocket as she walked back to her mat, risking a glance in Naruto's direction as she threaded her fingers through her thick tresses and pulled them up into a high ponytail. His body had tensed, his hands fisted in his pockets, and he was staring at her, lips slightly parted, with a vacant look in his gaze. Her heart raced a bit at the distinctly not friendlike way his eyes had followed her movement, and her hands faltered. _Is he...checking me out? Oh gods if he is thinking about last night…_

Slightly rattled, Hinata nervously licked her lips and tried to think of something to say, but all words escaped her and she could only think to follow the familiar stretching routine. Grabbing her elbow she pulled her right arm across to her opposite shoulder and hugged it to her chest to stretch her muscles. The action appeared to have jarred Naruto out of his daze as he suddenly coughed and cleared his throat. Scratching the back of his neck he cast his gaze about the ground as if the words he was looking for were written somewhere on the sand.

"Hime," he started and his voice cracked a bit with nervousness. Aggressively clearing his throat again, he settled for scowling at his feet while he stumbled out his ill prepared speech. "I'm sorry about...about last night. I got nervous when you weren't in the tent, and then you didn't come back, and my clone said you were way upstream and your chakra felt like you were fighting, so I went to see...uh, _check_! I just wanted to check on you, but then you were... _um_... and I just kind of...ah, it was only a minute I swear! I didn't see...uh, _much_ , only, well, awww fuck it." Naruto groaned and angrily scrubbed his face with his hands, mumbling all kinds of obscene things about himself as he grabbed the hair at his temples and pulled hard in frustration.

During his rambling apology Hinata couldn't hold back her smile at Naruto's pathetic desperation to explain himself. Her last vestiges of annoyance melted away at the strained expression on his face and the way he danced from foot to foot. The poor guy was an open book, and she easily read the verses on his heart. Tip toeing over to stand in front of him, she pursed her lips so as not to laugh aloud as he raked his fingers through the masses of spiky blond locks until his eyes stretched into slits. He looked down from his distorted features upon her humorous expression with such a dejected look on his face that Hinata had to resist the urge to giggle. Bestowing him with an easy grin, she reached up, so much higher than just a year ago, and smartly flicked his forehead like she always did when admonishing his foul language. But instead of saying the usual word of reprimand, she waited for him to focus on her eyes, to see her inner thoughts through her opalescent windows. The turmoil in his blue gaze began to steady when it locked onto her face, and she knew they had found that point of understanding that was so unique to them alone.

"Forgiven," she whispered, and placed a palm against his heart, the movement conveying the depth of the word and its truth. "Just forget about it, ok?" With a gentle pat she granted him her most magnanimous smile to let him know there were no hard feelings. His hands fell to his sides and he returned her grin with a sigh of relief that ended in a chuckle. "Like that'll ever happen," he murmured. Hinata blinked in surprise and Naruto's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "I said that out loud didn't I?" he squeaked.

The blunder was so comically _Naruto_ , that after all the melodrama Hinata couldn't help but turn her back to the freshly chagrined teenager, snorting with unrestrained laughter. Freely allowing the tension to escape her body, she nearly floated back to her place and planted her feet side by side on the mat, interlacing her fingers in preparation of the next stretch. Pushing the palms of her hands outwards she reveled in the pull of her muscles and popping vertebrae as she bent deeply at the waist. From her inverted position she called out to her friend, "I'm sorry I ate all your _onigiri_. I have one more box sealed in my other food storage scroll that you can have for breakfast tomorrow."

Coming back up to stand she started to twist her torso but was startled when a warm hand clasped her own. Naruto smiled with a nostalgic expression on his face and pulled her arm around to help her stretch, just like he used to do years ago at the academy after wrapping her hands in preparation for the afternoon sparring sessions.

"Sweet!" he said with enthusiasm. "You always made the best rice balls! Hiro-San was good, but no one compares to you, Hime." Hinata relaxed her core, feeling the tension of the stretch build in her muscles and her heart rate speed up despite her controlled breaths. His hands were large and calloused as much as her own, but the way he threaded their fingers together was gentle and intimate. Her eyes flicked up to his face in an attempt to get a better read on the intention behind his movements. Did he realize how he made her feel when he touched her like that?

Slowly coming back to center Hinata raised her other hand to meet his, and they twisted again in a coordination so perfect it was as though they were partners in a dance. The life long friends held their pose for several heartbeats, and she delighted in the heady feeling of him continually gravitating towards her. Naruto was so close now that Hinata could smell him, salty and woodsy after crawling through the humid forest all day. Turning her head slightly so as to catch his profile, she gathered her bravery and coyly offered, "When you come home I'll make them for you anytime you want Naruto-kun." _Oh my gods, I can't believe I'm flirting with him. I wonder if he'll even pick up on it?_

His hand tightened imperceptibly in response, and she dared to peek up at him through her lashes, hoping her cheeks weren't as flaming as they felt. His expression was soft but his eyes were dancing, like he was trying not to react but hiding it poorly. He pursed his lips in thought as he guided her arm back to center, moving to face her squarely before he planted one foot behind him and bent his front knee to lower himself into the next familiar progression of her routine.

Knowing exactly what to do Hinata smoothly raised her left leg and he caught her ankle, dragging it upwards until it rested on his shoulder. Her slender fingers wrapped around Naruto's biceps and he began to slowly slide his back foot across the dirt to broaden his stance as she leaned into his body. Her toes pointed into the sky as the stretch lengthened until she was in a perfect split, nearly resting her forehead against his chest. She felt as much as heard his voice rumble, "I'd like that."

Hinata hummed her agreement, breathless from their intimate position and her trembling muscles. Bracing herself against his arms, she allowed him to gradually bring her back up to standing and lower her foot to the ground. Without pausing their fluid dance Naruto reached out to grab her right ankle as she lifted it from the ground. She grimaced slightly, her right leg was her dominant one and after pushing off tree limbs all day the muscles were quite tight.

"Sore?" He asked softly, tilting his head down to see her face. She nodded, too nervous to speak, as he steadily slid her into a deeper stretch. The strain on her hamstring became a little uncomfortable and Hinata allowed her forehead to fall to his chest with a slight grimace. _Holy cow_ , she thought at the feel of his warm pectoral, _how much muscle has he packed on this last year?_

"Here, let me help," he murmured gently into her ear, looking down at her trembling leg. Making a fist with his left hand he pressed his knuckles firmly into her hamstring just above the back of her knee. She was so glad he couldn't see her flushed face as he unhurriedly advanced his knuckles up the back of her thigh, kneading her taught hamstring and inching higher and higher towards even more sensitive places. Hinata bit her bottom lip to suppress a whimper as Naruto maxed out his reach and placed his hand on her hip, bracing her as he slid back further on the sand, pulling her deeper into her split.

"Better?" Naruto practically seemed to croon, somehow infuriatingly more calm now than he had been during the apology. And here she was, raggedly breathing into his chest over the subtle delicacy of their position. Hinata was blushing madly but, Kami, if this wasn't the best she'd felt in... _ever_. Biting her lip even harder she pushed down the childish instinct to shy away from anything awkward and decided to risk her dignity so that she could enjoy this intimacy a bit longer.

"Again?" Hinata breathed. It was just a simple question, nothing more, because she wanted him to agree, not obey. "No problem," Naruto answered easily, as though she had only asked him to pass the salt. Goosebumps rippled down her body as he ran his hand all the way from her hip down the side of her leg and slid his fist back into place under her knee. In another pass of glorious torture he repeated the firm stroke of his knuckles up her thigh.

Completely lost in the intoxicating moment, Hinata accidentally let a soft, deep, moan escape her pursed lips. Panic lanced through her body, tightening her grip on Naruto's arms in white knuckled fear that he might freak out and back away. But his hand did not hesitate in its smooth journey across her thigh. His only reaction was a deep, humming laugh as his reach extended upwards until his knuckles just brushed against her backside before moving again to grasp her hip. Naruto sunk down another inch and now Hinata was fully descended into her split, and she could feel the weight of his chin resting on her head. Her eyes squeezed shut as his warm breath rustled her hair with his question, "Does that feel better, Hime?"

Hinata hazily lifted her face, and found herself to be eye level with Naruto's mouth. It quirked up a bit on one side in a soft smile, his whisker marks giving his gentle expression the air of a conniving fox who was harboring devious designs upon her person. Licking her tender lips where they'd been clamped between her teeth, Hinata found herself rather wishing that he did.

Dragging her gaze away from his mouth Hinata looked up into his eyes, and for the first time in her life could not quite identify what she saw. Their bright blue hue was like the sky after a storm, clear and calm. But there was something else, almost like Naruto was searching her for something, pursuing an answer that was just beyond his comprehension. They lost themselves in each other's stare, the keen awareness of their position making the air feel heavy with delicious stress, until Hinata finally managed to whisper, "It feels perfect."

The instant the words left her lips, Hinata saw Naruto's eyes darken and his pupils start to morph into slits, the grip of his rough palm on her hip suddenly tightened and just when she swore he had started to tilt his head and part his lips, a loud bark interrupted them.

Akamaru came bounding down onto the sandy shore and ran a circle around the entwined pair, wagging his tail happily. The spell was broken and Naruto quickly let Hinata's foot slide to the ground, steadying her for a moment longer than necessary before letting go of her shoulders. "Alright, alright, ya wild mutt, we're coming! Tell Kiba not to start without us."

Hinata had turned to grab her kimono and was slipping her arms into it while trying to shake off the butterflies in her stomach. That had been... _intense_. But she liked it. _A lot._

Naruto was rolling up her mat, and stood up running his hands over it before extending it out to her. "I should get you a new one, Hime. This one is so thin it's a miracle it hasn't ripped yet."

Hinata reached out and took the old gift from him, tucking it under her arm protectively. "It's fine," she assured him. "It has a lot of good memories tied to it. Besides, every time I use it I think of you." She affectionately ran her hand over the flattened texture of the once springy foam the way one would caress the fabric of an expensive gown.

Naruto reached up to finger the worn red scarf around his neck. She had offered to knit him a new one more times than he could count, but he always refused. He said this one was perfect, because it was his first gift. The moment he had opened it was when he had known without a doubt that they were friends, his _first_ friend. "I understand," he murmured, then grinned widely at her when his stomach growled.

"What would I have to do for you to let me have that _onigiri_ tonight instead of tomorrow, huh?" he teased, as Akamaru sprinted back and forth between them and the campfire. Naruto sidled over as he watched Hinata dramatically tap her chin in contemplation of what massive favor she could possibly barter from him, and leaned in to tug on her ponytail.

"I'm really good at back rubs too," he whispered lowly into her ear. Hinata gasped and blushed bright red as Naruto waggled his eyebrows cheekily, snickering at her glowing face. "Aw Hime! You're too easy sometimes!" Busting out into a full belly laugh he took off as she brandished her rolled up yoga mat like a club and swung at him.

"Stop teasing Naruto-kun! I know where you sleep!"

That night when he was rudely awakened by Kiba's inhuman snoring once again, Naruto reflexively reached out next to him to feel for Hinata. This time, his arm landed clumsily across her warm body, eliciting a small grunt out of the exhausted kunoichi. Smiling sleepily, the mostly incoherent blond rolled onto his side and pulled her into his body. The two sighed in their sleep, both unaware of why the hard ground suddenly seemed much more pleasant.

* * *

The mission had rapidly gone to hell in a handbasket.

Naruto struggled against the stone hard shell of chakra enhanced honey that encased him up to his chin, cursing himself all the while for allowing this mess to happen in the first place.

It was all his fault, he had let his guard down, and by doing so put the team at risk. He hadn't been using his sensing abilities, instead focusing on using his clones as extra eyes to locate the Bikochu, all the while hanging around Hinata as she scanned the forest with her Byakugan. Ever since they had made up, Naruto couldn't stay away, his arms ached to hold her again and all he could think about was making her laugh. Hinata had tried to scold him, reminding him to focus on the mission, but it was as if his mind was incapable of doing anything other than concoct excuses to stay by her side.

Despite his interference Hinata had managed to locate the elusive beetle, and it had been during his somewhat overly affectionate congratulatory embrace when they had struck. Naruto hadn't been paying any attention to the slowly increasing number of bees in their vicinity until it was too late, and he and Hinata had both been stung with some kind of poison that had caused their bodies to go numb. The last thing he had seen was a man's arms groping her limp body as he lifted her off the dirt, and heard the snarling of the Kyuubi within his mind before the world went black.

Now he was separated from them all, bound, and unable to weave even the most basic hand signs, as the unusual substance he was trapped within slowly leeched his chakra. _At least I got plenty more where that came from._

The Fox was working on reversing the effects of the poison, and as his mind cleared Naruto focused on sensing his teammates. Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino were in a separate part of the network of caves he had awoken in, they were unconscious but alive. He pushed further and his teeth ground together as he located Hime, somewhere above ground and in the presence of three jonin level shinobi. He writhed furiously, his frustration overwhelming his focus as all he could think about was getting to her side.

**Baka, she isn't so weak, you need to get your priorities straight.**

Naruto growled at the reprimand, hating to admit the Furball was right, but going against all his instincts was tearing him apart. Hime needed him, they needed each other, they were a team, partners, he couldn't lose another friend, he couldn't lose _her_. Ignoring the inevitable injuries he would suffer from this technique, Naruto used all of his building anger and anxiety to do the only jutsu he could manage with one hand. The chakra swirled together in his palm where it was trapped behind his back, and he grimaced through the pain as the orb shredded the skin it was pressed against as well as the chakra shell. " _Rasengan_!"

The sounds of shattering stone mixed with his screams of pain as Naruto rolled away from the destroyed prison of honey, and laid face down and panting for several minutes. When the nausea slowly subsided, leaving only the throbbing and stinging sensations to deal with, he forced himself to his feet and staggered through the labyrinth to his teammates' aid.

They were all still out cold, encased and strung up from the ceiling like human sized cocoons. Naruto braced himself against the wall as his clones cut them down, each _bunshin_ as unsteady as himself, but still managing to ease the others safely to the floor. There was no way he could carry them all out, the poison was still coursing through his veins, making his vision blur, and now the wound on his back was redirecting his chakra towards a second healing effort. All he could do for now was leave his clones to guard them and hope that they awoke sooner rather than later. Naruto tossed a three-pronged kunai to the nearest clone, who nodded at him solemnly when he snatched it out of the air. "Go save her," the _bunshin_ commanded, collapsing into the dirt by Akamaru. The others shouted their cheers of agreement, and Naruto smirked as the echoes of their shouts followed him into the darkness.

It felt like hours before he reached them. He had to pause twice, once to finally vomit from a combination of pain and poison, although he felt immensely better afterwards. The second time to attempt Sage Mode, which failed miserably, his body and mind much too unstable to maintain the delicate balance of Nature Energy in a safe way. His anger bubbled over and he punched the tree he was sitting under, cursing his weakness. _What good was all that training if I cannot save my precious people? How can I ever live up to my promises if I cannot even save the person who is more important to me than my next breath?_

Abandoning the meditative effort to three clones that he left under strict instruction to keep trying until they either turned into frogs or dispelled, Naruto hurriedly bound the wound on his back and charged forward as best he could, following the magnetic pull of his Hime's chakra.

Now the bastards were in his sight, his own debilitated chakra was muted completely, and he had managed to crawl along a tree branch to obtain a decent view of the shinobi below. When Naruto had seen the way they had strung Hinata up over the river rapids in such a way that any false move would send her hurdling over the edge of the nearby falls and into an abyss, he had nearly combusted in his fury.

His injuries kept him from moving as quickly as he wanted to, but he summoned all his lifetime's worth of stealth to stalk closer to the group undetected. Their words reached his ears over the rushing river. They wanted to ransom her, recognizing her bloodline and knowing that her Clan possessed considerable wealth. The lone kunoichi was claiming the right to torture and kill Shino, apparently to satisfy some vendetta she held against the Aburame for crimes Naruto's teammate had nothing to do with. His internal sense of justice flared. These people were the kind that tipped the scales out of balance, the ones that sent the pendulum swinging hard the other way in their malicious attempts to avenge themselves by punishing anyone they could lay their hands on in lieu of the actual perpetrators. He couldn't ignore their threats, any more than he could ignore the rage building within himself.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. He _jumped_. His pain became his power and in a gust of wind, two of the shinobi were down on the grass and bleeding out from gaping wounds across their throats. Naruto's blazing red eyes darted around, looking for the last kunoichi, only to see her poised upon the rock that was Hinata's only anchor to safety. She was awake, her lavender eyes wide and intensely staring at him, trying to tell him something, but his mind could only see her helplessness. Blood was seeping through the makeshift bandage on his back, and he weakly fell to his knees despite the mighty growl that ripped through his fanged teeth.

"Let her go! I won't hesitate to end you just like your sorry ass minions!" Naruto hoped the violent killing intent that poured from him, combined with the demonic timbre of his voice was enough of a bluff to convince the enemy kunoichi to heed his warning. "If you hurt her, I will not be so quick about it either!"

"She is that precious to you? Hmm, I see." The kunoichi raked him over with a flat glare, tightening her grip on the small case that contained the Bikochu and its freshly laid egg. "I guess one prize is enough for me. I'll give you a choice. Her, or the beetle. And I walk away with whatever you discard." Her fingernails shot out like blades and she let one gleaming spike hover over the fragile strand that tethered Hinata's cocooned body as it bounced on the choppy rapids.

Naruto could sense Hinata's chakra building, her head thrashing to free her mouth from the sticky gag of her prison. He began to panic, dispelling the clones he left behind only to curse freely at their failure to properly channel the Nature Energy he desperately needed to overcome the miasma of the poison still flooding his network. His mind raced over his options, with his poor control, another blast of wind chakra could cut Hime's ties, and he wasn't sure he could make it in time to catch her before she was lost over the falls. His fingers gripped a _Hiraishin_ kunai, but he knew that was also a dead end move that would only allow him one chance to grab Hime, and then the kunoichi and the beetle would inevitably be lost. _It's not a hard decision. I choose her…_

Hinata's chakra suddenly pulsed powerfully, startling the foreign kunoichi who had not realized that her captive was awake. "Stop whatever it is you are doing!" the woman screamed, her arm pulling back to swing at the thin strand of honey as she crouched to leap away, readying herself to escape.

"Stop! Hime! I'm gonna save you, just don't move!" _Furball! Gimme a tail!_

**Baka! You'll kill yourself if you try to use my chakra with this shitty level of control. Calm down and look at her!**

_What the fuck!? I've never asked you for anything, you stupid Fox, but if you don't help me save her I'll make your life a living hell!_

**Shut up and watch, stupid human!**

"I can do this Naruto-kun!"

Naruto's head snapped up from his internal fight with the Kyuubi to see that Hinata had freed her mouth, which was set in firm determination as her chakra pulsed once more. That was enough for the alarmed kunoichi to know that her best time for escape was now or never, and she slashed at the tether.

Water shot out of the river with such speed it would seem that something had exploded beneath the waves. But to a trained shinobi such as Naruto, the sight was an amazing display of precision and power. Hinata's chakra shell shattered under the impact of a hundred perfectly placed droplets. The waves lashed out like possessed whips and wrapped around the screaming kunoichi, engulfing her in a water prison that drowned out her cries. Hinata landed lightly upon the boiling surface, and instantly twin surges of purple chakra flowed down her arms, coalescing into a pair of roaring lions over her fists. With a powerful cry that stole Naruto's breath and nearly liquified his heart, Hinata charged the enemy, who could only gape at her impending doom. The collision sent water crashing over the clearing with the strength of an ocean storm, and Naruto was barely able to clamor up a tree to escape being washed away.

The devastating move left Hinata's already taxed body weakly sprawled out on the newly purged beach. She had used a huge chunk of her chakra to overcome the poison the way that Tsunade-sama had taught her, and it had left her with barely enough to execute the new technique that she had been working on for months, her _Hakke Sōjishi Hōgeki_. Her control over the new jutsu had left much to be desired, but the euphoria of actually executing it in battle for the first time was intoxicating.

Sloppy footsteps scuffled over to her side and Naruto collapsed onto the ground next to her, scooping her exhausted body up into his arms.

"Hime, that was amazing!" He breathed into her neck, sending goosebumps down her dripping arms. She couldn't respond, but grinned proudly as she tightened her grip on his shoulders. "No Hyuga could ever pull off what you just did, believe it!" They sat in the wet sand, panting and laughing as they regained their bearings and their chakras slowly stabilized each other. Naruto tapped his forehead against hers, water running down the limp strands of his blond hair and across her cheeks, basking in the comfort of holding her life in his embrace. "Kami, Hime," he whispered hoarsely, "I was so scared." The confession struck her heart with its naked honesty. This strong man, this powerful shinobi, he was afraid for _her_. But he needn't be.

"I've been getting stronger too, believe it," she huffed gently, pinching his whiskered cheek without force and bestowing a gloating smile upon his hovering face. He chuckled at her fatigued teasing and shook his head at her well earned bravado, his eyes falling to her lips that curled up so invitingly on the sides. Their breathing slowed and they slowly started to lean forwards, drawn like moths to the flame of one another's joy and relief.

Akamaru's barking was absurdly energetic as he burst out of the forest accompanied by a pale, but upright, Shino and a sheepish looking clone carrying Kiba on his back. Hinata bit her cheek at the grumbling curses that tumbled from Naruto's mouth about stupid mutts and their terrible timing. But it was hard to be angry for long as they gladly greeted their teammates, and everyone was filled in on the details of the day.

It seemed that Shino's personal hive had been working to combat the effects of the poison, and had finally succeeded in helping him regain consciousness and eat away the hardened shell that trapped him, Kiba, and Akamaru. The chakra boost his beetles fed back to him after the meal was enough for him to walk out of the cave while the remaining _bunshin_ took charge of Kiba. They listened in awe at Naruto's dramatic retelling of Hinata's magnificent defeat of the enemy, as she sat blushing but beaming by his side.

"And where is the Bikochu egg?" Shino asked, still the captain of the mission and focused on the prize now that his team was safe and accounted for. Hinata blinked and then activated her Byakugan, having forgotten about the caged insect.

"There," she pointed seconds later, "it washed up over by those—"

The hammering buzz of massive wings rose out of the tree line from across the river. A bee summons of immense proportions dove out of the sky towards the group of Leaf ninja. The enemy kunoichi had somehow managed to drag herself back to the edge of the clearing, despite a gaping wound across her chest that would be lethal within moments, and cried out, "I will never forget the Kamizuru Clan! The Aburame will remember my name as the executioner who balanced the scales of their sins!"

Without hesitating Naruto placed himself between the screeching bee and the others, bit his thumb and slammed his hand into the ground. His renewed chakra coursed through the seal that flashed across the dirt. _"Kuchiyose no jutsu!"_

Gamakichi burst onto the scene with a billowing cloud of smoke that disoriented the dive-bombing bee and allowed the toad to snatch the insect clean out of the air, no questions asked. Shino never flinched as he brought his hands together and commanded his hive to finish off the bee kunoichi once and for all.

The exhausted group of shinobi breathed ragged sighs of relief, as Shino confirmed with his hive that all threats had been thoroughly neutralized. Naruto grinned up at the toad he considered a friend and partner, who had also done plenty of growing and now stood twice as tall as his summoner. "Thanks Gamakichi! I guess this means I don't owe you a snack for this one, eh?"

"As if!" The large toad grimaced as he shuddered. "That thing tasted like shit!"

"SHH! Look!" All eyes turned to Shino, whose insects were buzzing in agitation as he pointed to the cracked glass cage a few meters away, and they all watched in wonder as the precious little beetle they had fought so hard to find, delicately made its way out into the open air. Naruto frantically began pawing at the pockets of first his own pants and then Hinata's, looking for the forehead protector that was the key to the success of the whole damn mission. Hinata squeaked as he briskly ran his hands over her legs but he was too focused to notice anything, all he could think about was finding that blasted—

The wet slap of a long tongue hitting wood had them all frozen in horror as the warty orange toad inhaled the freshly emerged beetle, and then had the audacity to let out a long belch.

"Oh, 'Kichi..." Naruto groaned, his mind unable to process what he had just seen. Behind him, Hinata's hand was poorly covering her gasp, as her nails dug painfully into the back of his neck. Only the sounds of Gamakichi's smacking lips broke the stupefied silence.

"I. Hate. FROOOOGGGSSS!" An absolutely irate Shino screamed like a banshee as he and his insects stormed the instantly confused and frightened amphibian, who leapt backwards in panic. "I'm not a frog, I'm a TOAD you crazy bastard! Get away from me!"

Kiba sat, staring dumbly at the apocalyptic sight before him of a raging Aburame, which he thought was genetically impossible. "I will never forget this mission for as long as I live," he whispered to Akamaru, who only whined in response.

* * *

Stars twinkled overhead as Naruto jumped from the branch he had been sitting on for several hours, landing lightly on the ground and shuffling towards the waterline. It was the end of his watch, but he had no intention of waking up the exhausted kunoichi for her shift. None of the teammates had felt much like setting out for Konoha after all that had occurred, and the group had unanimously decided to camp one more night and leave in the morning. Sleep, however, was the furthest thing from Naruto's mind as he struggled to process everything he had seen.

Today was the closest he had ever come to thinking he might lose his Hime. The fear had nearly choked him, and he still felt a bit queasy if he dwelt on it too long. She was his best friend, of course he didn't want anything to happen to her. But fear had overlapped with a more potent emotion in his heart, a deeper, stronger sensation that made him feel like if he lost her, he would lose a part of himself. The connection they shared was becoming so much more than ever before, and seeing her again, in all her multifaceted complexity, had only solidified this for him.

He paced restlessly up and down the sandy banks as his mind reeled with all the things that had happened between them and the emotions that now grew in his heart. His feelings for her were becoming clearer by the minute and there was no way he could relax now. Hime was more than just his friend, more than one of his precious people. She was part of his existence, embedded into his heart and soul, the balance of his worth as a man. He craved her, pined for her, adored her…he _saw_ her.

The minutes ticked by, and Naruto knew what he needed to do, but had no idea how to do it. How to say it. How, and when, would he ever be able to put this life altering epiphany into words? Sighing harshly he stalked over to a tree whose branches reached out over the river and sank down against its trunk to stare at the water that moved as restlessly as himself. He closed his eyes and opened his senses, feeling for her presence and immediately latching onto it. Even from this distance she calmed him, and he smiled at the soothing familiarity. But the longer he allowed himself the luxury of combing over her chakra in his mind, the more his body responded as well as his heart. She triggered his baser instincts as well as his devotion, and when he sensed her stirring from her slumber, he felt his mind settle in decision. He could never be anything less than completely honest with her.

Hinata emerged from the tent rubbing her eyes, clad in one of his old t-shirts and a pair of boxers from his genin days, a sight which he found especially satisfying. Coming to his side she started to take a seat next to him, but as she collapsed he tugged her to sit between his legs instead. Everything within him wanted her close.

Hinata squeaked a bit at the yank on her arm but giggled and settled her back onto his chest without complaint. He studied the way her eyes sparkled and wondered if it was because of him or the dancing moonlight reflecting off the water.

"You were amazing today, Hime," he said mostly into her hair. She shyly poked her fingertips together in a childish reflex at the genuine praise. "I was only doing what any shinobi would do, protecting my team."

"I'm sorry I ruined our mission," Naruto mumbled, head tipping down in shame, but not missing the chance to inhale the scent of her. Hinata fidgeted at the tickle of his bangs on her neck, and he drew his knees up a bit, bracing his arms across them and giving her a cocoon to settle into.

"It's not your fault," Hinata sighed, and her breath stirred the hairs on his arms, sending goosebumps rippling up his limbs to the base of his neck. Naruto shuddered involuntarily and she mistook his movement as a sign of being cold and snuggled backwards into his chest, unconsciously bringing her backside into contact with his groin, and suddenly his mouth went completely dry.

"I know 'Kichi didn't understand. He'd never do anything like that on purpose," Hinata said consolingly. She felt Naruto's breathing turn shallow as he pulled his face away from her, and she frowned, worried that he was overly upset with the innocent mistake of his summon, and started to turn around so as to see his expression better.

But when she shifted her position, Naruto's arms instantly snapped to her waist, wrapping around her tightly and pinning her flush against his chest. "Don't...move," he said rather hoarsely. The strain in his voice now had Hinata's concern mounting. Perhaps he was more angry than she realized? Or hurt? She had healed most of the shredded skin on his back before he had demanded that she stop and save her chakra. Even so, he shouldn't be in pain. Was he that upset over missing a chance to find Sasuke?

Unable to move her body in his tight grasp Hinata twisted her head around to see his face in profile. Naruto's eyes were shut rather tightly, and his mouth was set in a hard line that looked like he was definitely trying to hold his emotions inside. His nostrils flared with each breath and the warm exhalations brushed down her shoulder where the loose t-shirt had slipped down from her squirming.

Hinata did not like the tension that ran rigid through his body, and gently demanded, "Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" His face didn't change but he shook his head tersely and lowered it until his bangs hid his eyes and his chin planted upon her shoulder. She managed to free a hand and lifted it to brush the hair from his eyes, the gesture was gentle and at her touch he growled lowly. The response was lacking in explanation, but even so made her gut twist in automatic response. There was something rather feral about the way it rumbled against her back, and she dared to admit to herself that it was more than pleasant.

So she did it again. More firmly this time, raking her fingernails across his scalp, and his whole head dropped helplessly to her shoulder. Feeling the strain of his muscles curl into her back, Hinata threaded her fingers purposefully along the back of his head, just like she used to do when the nightmares would haunt his sleep. Naruto's breaths panted across her pale skin and she felt her own blush burn up out of the heat of her gut at the sweet sensation. Her mind chided her selfishness, now wasn't the time to get all mushy, something was upsetting Naruto-kun and she needed to understand what that was. His heart was pounding against her back despite her ministrations, and she could feel his arms tightening around her waist more and more with every pass of her hand through his hair.

Naruto wasn't responding at all to her attempts at soothing his stress and Hinata began to worry that perhaps she had lost her touch after all the time apart. He just couldn't seem to relax, and in mild frustration she cupped his cheek and forced his head up off her shoulder. "Naruto-kun," she demanded softly into his ear as she tried to turn her head to face him within the confines of his tight grasp, "are you alright?"

Naruto jerkily shook his head 'no', then nodded, then shook it again _firmly_. Hinata was thoroughly confused by the conflicting messages as she watched his hair thrash back and forth out of the corner of her eye. She braced herself to throw his arms off of her so she could twist around and get a better look at him, when he asked, in that deeper voice that she had not quite gotten used to yet, "Hime, would you do that thing for me, like you used to, please?"

Naruto dared to meet her searching eyes, simply so that she wouldn't keep fretting over his incongruous body language since detailed explanations were impossible for him at the moment. And when his dark blue gaze locked onto her pale lavender one, he did the only thing he could ever do with his Hime, and let her see his soul and the desire that was flooding his heart. Hinata stared at his face and her eyes widened, her fingers pressing into the angle of his jaw, and her mouth opened to speak but no sound came out. Then she blushed, _hard_ , and he thought his heart might burst when she gave him a small nod of acquiescence and understanding.

Naruto forced himself to loosen his grip on her waist, and she turned around in his arms until her legs were draped over his thigh. Hinata tentatively slipped one hand up his shirt and felt his abdomen tighten as she covered his seal with her palm, and then placed trembling fingers to the bounding pulse of his neck. Her mind hazily wondered at the raspy stubble of his square jaw, _what would it feel like against my cheek? Does he shave with a kunai? Perhaps in the river…in the morning…shirtless…_

As the tantalizing images rebelliously floated through her mind despite Hinata's attempts at reigning in her wild thoughts, she poured her chakra into Naruto through her palms, and he drank it up like rain over a parched desert. His mind was flooded with her, and it sent his body tingling from head to toe. He could not contain a hum of satisfaction as he pressed his lips to the crown of her hair, the smooth silky strands cool against his heated face.

His arm snaked around her back, anchoring itself around her with the firm grasp of his large hand settling on the flare of her hip, and he ventured to allow himself to draw slow circles down her side. Naruto craved the contact of her skin, needing to telegraph his feelings with his touch, and gradually he worked up the hem of her loose shirt until his rough fingertips brushed against her maddeningly soft skin. Hinata gasped softly, and Naruto blearily wondered if he should stop, but the increasing pressure of her hand on his neck only pulled him closer, enveloping him in her warm scent, and his ability to wonder at all, _crashed_.

Feeling selfish for greedily consuming her affectionate chakra without giving anything in return, Naruto laid his other hand on her bare knee, and began to gently swirl his chakra into her through his palms as well. The threads of his essence were as tentative as a frail beam of sunlight as it peeked between the rain clouds. He could feel Hinata smile against his chest where she had buried her burning face, and he increased his flow, searching for that perfect harmony between them that his thirsty spirit yearned for.

As their chakras whirl and knit together Naruto can feel his heartbeat unite with hers, their souls align like stars in a constellation, together completing a cosmic portrait worthy of display in the heavens.

This time, the euphoria of their blending auras was more intoxicating than Naruto had ever experienced before, and he knew his Hime felt it too. It was as if she exposed her inner self to his perusal, and in return he held nothing back of his own. He opened the furnace of his feelings to her, bathing her in his burning desire, and sensed her reciprocate by demolishing the dams that contained her oceans to meet his inferno with the breathtaking iciness of her waves.

Hinata lifted her face, and Naruto tapped his forehead against hers in awe. He couldn't explain it. He couldn't put it into words. His feelings for her, for the future, for everything. But he didn't need to. She knew. She _saw_ him.

Their natures merged into a storm of wild winds blowing over ocean waves. Hinata crashed into his soul like a tsunami and Naruto pulled her whole being into him with the force of a tornado. They were chaos, they were harmony, they were each other's destiny.

The dance built higher, they are in the eye of their own storm. Hinata's lavender eyes glowed with an intensity that could pierce the armor of his demons, and he was lost. He never wanted to be found. Her spirit called to him, and he did not hesitate to answer.

There was no uncertainty in the press of his mouth into her eagerly awaiting lips, as assured as the rise of the sun. She lets her head fall back in full supplication and he curves his shoulders to catch her. They move as one to find the connection that will satisfy the longing ache that demands _more_. It was as if all of nature held its breath, waiting to exhale as it was charged up with the vibrant electricity building between them. She was soft where he was sharp. She was strong where he was weak. She was gentle where he was rough. He craved her balance, she was the reconciliation of his existence.

She pulled him down into her, and he angled his mouth to kiss her deeper, his hand sliding from her knee up her thigh, bunching up under her shorts and fiercely palming her flesh. They fit like they were made for one another, and Naruto knows this to be true.

Hinata pulled away gasping for air, but now the eye of the storm had passed, and their tempest raged around him with mounting ferocity. Naruto cannot get enough, his hand groping up from her hip to her ribs, his lips pressing eager kisses down her neck, her moan a siren song keening out into the night.

Her chakra pulsed like never before, engulfing him until he drowned. Her hands gripped his hair, yanking him back to her face, ensnaring him with her tongue as she thrust it deep into his searching mouth.

The surge built to its peak, and he matched her passion, tangling his tongue into her warmth, needing to taste her as well, needing her to fill all of his senses until he cannot tell where he ends and she begins. She met him eagerly, giving back everything and more, not losing an inch of ground.

They tangle together, limbs entwined, chakras morphing into a maelstrom such as they had never experienced before. A majestic contradiction of chaos in perfect synchronization. The centrifugal balance of their throbbing energies twisted around them, held for a powerful heartbeat, then warbled under their wildly uncontrolled euphoria and shifted. Suddenly, something snapped and the chakra vortex careened and discharged with an eruption of power that shook them to their bones. Like a top that abruptly lost its rotation, they were roughly thrown away from each other and sent tumbling across the earth. They were left sprawled out and gasping, blinking up at stars they had forgotten existed.

Naruto pushed himself up onto his knees and crawled over to Hinata where she was slowly sitting up, rubbing her head where it had thumped hard against the ground. He had somehow been thrown a good way from her and fear lanced through him as he reached her side.

"Hime! Are you ok? What happened?"

"I-I have no idea," she murmured as she blinked away the pain. "It was like one minute everything was moving around us, and we were sucked up into the pull, and then it all just...stopped, but our bodies kept going..."

Naruto was only half listening, more concerned with checking over her body for injuries. He ran his hands down her shoulders and arms, then up her back before cupping her face in his palms. Her clothes were dirty but not torn. Her hair was messed up a bit, but it actually looked pretty cute, and through his fear a small measure of smugness glowed in his chest.

Hinata looked into his face and saw the slightly mischievous gleam of his eye and bit her lip to hide her own grin. She swatted playfully at his knowing smirk, "Don't look so pleased with yourself," she giggled. But tilted her head up to him when he pulled her roughly back into his embrace.

"What?" He drawled with mock innocence as he pecked her cheek. "Can a man not gloat a bit when his first kiss is so amazing it _literally_ blows him away?"

They chuckle together as they nuzzle into one another and Hinata sighs in bone deep contentment. "Stay," she breathed, wrapping her hand around his wrist the way he had done to her on their last night in Konoha, sitting atop the Yondaime's stone head. His thumb brushed back and forth across her cheek and she wished she could freeze this moment, and never leave. But time carries on without regard to anyone, and so Hinata will greedily gather up its dropped treasures.

"Just for tonight?" Her voice is more vulnerable than she wanted it to be, but the emotions of their passion are still raw in her heart. Naruto slid his fingers into her thick hair and pulled her flushed face to his own.

"For always," he murmured against her lips.

_I wanna be there when the voices in your head_   
_Are loud enough to make you lose your mind_   
_Just the same when you're dominating the day_   
_I wanna be the one who's by your side_   
_You know my love is not the jealous type_   
_It doesn't matter if we win or lose_   
_Oh, I could stay or I could come no matter where you're coming from_   
_I can be the one to let you choose_

_I wanna hold you close but never hold you back_   
_Just like the banks to the river_   
_(Oh) And if you ever feel like you are not enough_   
_I'm gonna break all your mirrors_   
_(Oh) I wanna be there when the darkness closes in_   
_To make the truth a little clearer_   
_(Oh) I wanna hold you close but never hold you back_   
_I'll be the banks for your river_

_You are beautiful and wild at every turn_   
_Who am I to take control of that_   
_But everybody needs a voice they can follow_   
_When the water and the winds get bad_

_You know my love is not the jealous type_   
_And it don't matter if we win or lose_   
_Oh, I could push or I could pull_   
_No matter what you're trying to do_   
_As long as I can flow along with you_

_Baby, I ain't saying that you need my help_   
_But you don't have to do it all by yourself_   
_So baby when the current gets strong_   
_And you need somewhere to rest your bones_   
_I wanna be there for you_   
_I wanna be strong for you_

_I wanna hold you close but never hold you back_   
_Just like the banks to the river_   
_(Oh) And if you ever feel like you are not enough_   
_I'm gonna break all your mirrors_   
_(Oh) I wanna be there when the darkness closes in_   
_To make the truth a little clearer_   
_(Oh) I wanna hold you close but never hold you back_   
_I'll be the banks for your river_

-Abridged lyrics of "Banks" by NEEDTOBREATHE from their album Out of Body


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

Chapter 30

Sometimes Sasuke hated her.

He hated her when she crept out of his bed in the middle of the night, leaving him colder than the icy river he trained on.

He hated her when she healed the others, allowing them to sink their teeth into her flesh and take from her what she didn't want to give. Leaving marks on her skin as evidence that they had walked away with a piece of her they didn't deserve. _He_ was the only one who had earned her trust and defended her well-being. The only one who recognized what it cost her to continually be forced to give and _give_.

He hated her when she cried. When the horrors of her duties overwhelmed her and she finally broke down in his arms, cursing her fate, her gifts, her existence. Her existence was essential to his sanity, didn't she think about how he would shatter without her?

He hated her most when she was nothing. No spicy comments. No blushing cheeks when he leveled her with a stare that bared the depth of his jealousy for her attention. No appetite to keep her sustained, to keep her healthy, to replace what was always being stolen, to stay _alive_. To stay with him. No self preservation when she poured herself into him until she passed out by his side, wanting to see him restored even if it meant she wasted.

Sometimes he loved her.

He loved having her to himself. Knowing that he was capable of protecting something. That this time, should a threat arise, he could be strong enough to meet the bastard blow for blow and prevent the loss of his precious person. He would never allow himself to lose again. There even were days when he forgot that he was an Avenger, because all he could think about was being her shield.

He loved the way she moved. Swiftly, purposefully, oozing confidence and carelessness. Her raised fist was an object of fear. Her posture was a pillar of strength that never bowed, even when Kabuto himself attempted to lay her low with his lofty commands. She would parade down the halls, never giving a passing glance to the peons around her. Never wanting to see them. Because to see was to care. And she couldn't afford to care.

He loved the sounds she made when he claimed her. The sharpness all went out of her and she was putty in his hands. Her voice was soft and coaxing, her touches firm and sure.

He loved the way he _possessed_ her. Her walls caved in and he consumed her like a fire. She filled his senses until everything else just disappeared and all he could taste was her skin, all he could feel was her heart pounding under his bare chest, all he could see was her hair splayed across his bed, all he could hear was his name falling from her lips, all he could feel was the clench of her around him as he did the one thing that no one else ever deemed to do, _he gave back to her_.

Orochimaru had declared that they would be moving hideouts tomorrow, everyone was busy, and Sasuke was not excluded. Three bodies littered the underground training arena, which was scorched with electrical burns, scarred with slashes from his blade, and smoking from numerous _katon_. Orochimaru signaled to Kabuto with a small jerk of his chin, and the gray haired nin quickly departed to fetch a fresh opponent for the Uchiha.

Sasuke did not acknowledge Kabuto as he hurried out of the arena, bending slightly to use the shirt of his latest victim to clean the blood from his _Fukushu-sha_. He briefly noted that the massive abomination was not completely dead, but didn't pause, nor did he linger. The misshapen beasts that The Snake and his Igor kept throwing at him were hard to see as human, and Sasuke had higher goals to worry about. The next hideout would be the turning point in their plans, do or die. And Sasuke had no intentions of dying.

As Sasuke stopped to drink from his flask, Orochimaru shuffled over to his prized possession. The traitorous Sannin attempted to stand tall and hide his condition, but the reality was that he could feel his body practically decaying from his bones. He knew he needed to switch soon, but was desperately holding out in anticipation of the Sharingan's final transformation, its peak achievement. _As soon as he kills his brother he will receive the Mangekyo, and in his weakened state he will easily be subdued. Then, after all these years, I will finally have the strongest kekkei genkai known to man!_ A harlequin grin lit his pale face, exposing the missing teeth that had rotted from his mouth.

Sasuke held back the revulsion that swamped his gut as the yellow eyes raked over his sweating body. He looked away, pretending to be ignorant of the naked lust in the direct stare as he straightened his shirt to hide his chest. There were several things that they had kept carefully hidden from their "keepers": their bond, her newly honed chains, and his strengthening Mangekyo.

"Impressive as always, Sasuke-kun," the raspy voice hissed. "You are a formidable opponent for even my most creative fighters." The curse mark tingled on the Uchiha's shoulder, but such sensations were no longer involuntary. Unbeknownst to his "mentor", the Uchiha had dedicated a significant amount of time to honing his mind as well as his jutsu, and could manipulate the cursed stages at his own whim. He knew that his ultimate opponent was a man of fierce control, and had been preparing thoroughly to conquer him.

Orochimaru poked at one of the fallen bodies with the cane that he now used; the coughing fits were leaving him weaker every day. "Ah, getting a bit sloppy in our anticipation to leave, hmm? You haven't killed the last two." Orochimaru reached up to brush a limp wisp of hair from his eyes, the tremble of his fingers not escaping Sasuke's notice. The door to the large arena rumbled open as Kabuto reappeared with yet another excrescence riddled entity that once upon a time might have been a human. "Well, they are rather unique specimens," Orochimaru's forehead nearly audibly krinkled with his contemplation. "Perhaps it would be better to salvage them to use another day." He stamped the cane into the ground twice, and instantly Kabuto was at his side. "Fetch Karin," he commanded, "have her heal them."

Fire instantly ignited within Sasuke's veins, his Sharingan pulsing with the heat of his barely subdued fury. Before the others could stop long enough to ponder the meaning behind his visceral reaction, Sasuke's hands were flying through a new series of hand signs. In the blink of an eye the static in the air intensified, each molecule of the dank chamber grinding together to charge the room with the prickly sensation of ozone. Slamming his hands together in the final hand sign Sasuke yelled out his technique and three bolts of lightning struck from out of nowhere, stabbing into the two downed opponents and also the unfortunate newest arrival who had barely breached the doorway. The power of each strike was enough to momentarily elevate them off the floor, twitching erratically until the jutsu cut off and three loud thumps echoed as they hit the ground.

The sickening smell of burned flesh and hair filled the room, and Sasuke finally allowed his eyes to fade into black along with his now appeased protectiveness. Orochimaru never flinched at the brutal display, other than to tap his knobby finger on the top of his cane, like a clock ticking time. His low raspy chuckles followed him as he slowly made his way out of the room. "I see, you were simply saving them for your latest attack. What a _stimulating_ new jutsu. Kabuto, empty out cell block C. Travel will be much easier with less… _baggage_."

Sasuke spent the rest of the day slaughtering every creature they threw his way, knowing that anyone left alive would be sinking their foul breathed mouths into _her_ body. And he hated to share.

As he staggered down the hallway towards his bed, he tried to hide the ragged hitch of his breath. The pile of bodies Sasuke left behind did not weigh on his conscience. They were already doomed and living in hell, he had merely freed them from their suffering while sparing her from witnessing it.

He was so chakra drained that his foot caught on the uneven edge of the stone floor, and Sasuke nearly stumbled into the frame of his doorway until fine strands of golden chains shot out of the darkness behind him, curling around his torso and encasing his arms. He huffed at the links, no thicker than the large pearls of a rich woman's necklace, but easily strong enough for him to lean on as he fumbled to pull his feet back under him.

"I told you never to use those here," he grumbled as the chains set him aright.

"Watching you fall on your ass would've been much more entertaining. Forgive my misplaced kindness, oh Masochistic One." Her pale arms replaced the chains that were swiftly retreating into her body, and despite the harshness of her words, her touch was tender and gentle. Sasuke tried to put on an annoyed expression, but the barest hint of pride gleamed in his obsidian eyes. She had improved immensely with her newfound gift, carefully coaxing the deceivingly delicate appearing chains out of her hands, one exhausting link at a time. The Uzumaki were a powerful clan of awe-inspiring jutsu and _kekkei genkai_ , Orochimaru was a fool to have overlooked her unique form of their genetic gift.

Karin plopped him down on the bed, _tsking_ disapprovingly at his pathetic chakra levels. To be fair, the fact that he was still conscious at all after single-handedly slaughtering the entirety of the two cell blocks was a testament to his immensely improved strength. Too much of a testament.

"Stupid man," she growled as she helped him peel out of his sweat soaked clothing, privately exalting in the lack of serious wounds on his beautiful body. "You'll give your strength away and he'll jump you before we can follow through with the plan. You know how he gets extra paranoid right before a switch." Sasuke merely grunted his patented monosyllabic response, shamelessly grabbing her ass for leverage as he rolled to slide out of his sleeve. Karin's cheeks burned, but she did not pull away, only leaning forward to undo the thick rope that belted his pants, pressing herself more firmly into his large palm.

It took a few moments to free his prostrate body from the torn clothes, his muscles were so stiff that he was of little assistance. As she worked her way down his body her hands glowed green, healing where she could, knowing that unless he was near death he would refuse all her pleas and threats for him to bite her and recharge his chakra from her bank. With a sigh she smartly yanked the sheets up over his mouth watering figure, brazenly eating up the sight of his taut muscles and well formed…limbs.

He was smirking at her when she finally met his gaze, and she agitatedly mumbled about the unfairness of Kami to put so much prettiness into a man who could care less about his appearance, as she smartly adjusted the glasses on her face. Karin spun around to leave him to his recovery but her wrist was grasped harshly in a surprisingly strong grasp.

"Stay." It was not a question, he didn't want her to choose, he needed her to _obey_. All thoughts of her lists and lists of tasks to complete before they moved out in the morning fled her mind as he yanked her down to his lips. Sasuke didn't need to ignite her passion. For him, she always _burned_.

* * *

Hinata knew she loved him.

It had dawned on her slowly, love was not something heaped upon her growing up. Her mother had loved her, in a doting, calm way. Fleeting touches, the gentle way she brushed her hair, the soft tone of her voice. She knew she was loved, and as she grew older and understood the significance of her mother's actions and choices, she knew she was treasured. But it was all gone so soon.

Her father loved her. She knew this even though she could count on one hand the number of times he had actually said it. He didn't need to. He protected her, encouraged her, gave her advice, built her up instead of tearing her down. He offered her his strength when she was ready to cave in.

She was sure Neji loved her, even though he rarely ever even said he _liked_ her. But she knew it from his steadfastness. He had stood by her side throughout all the ups and downs. Never held her back, never jealously fought her for the attention of their father. And never made her feel less than fully accepted when she had revealed her true relation to him. Every decision she had made he had always gone along with her. He was her brother, they were family, they always would stand by each other.

None of these experiences could describe what she felt for Naruto. The closeness, the care, the protectiveness; all these things she felt _for_ him and _from_ him since literally the day they had met. But it was years before she associated their unique bond with 'love'. And only shortly before he left that she had realized that her love for him had a unique layer to it entirely. She held a passion for him that burned in her center and stole her breath. His touch could make her feel alive and his laugh could pull her out of the darkest mood. And his chakra… _Kami_ , don't get her started.

Hinata smiled into the darkness of the tent, carding her fingers through his golden hair the same way her chakra threaded through his sleeping body. Naruto had reached for her in his slumber, pulled her to him and nuzzled his face into her chest while mumbling her name. At first she had gasped and glanced over at their two teammates, but both were out cold as well, more than tired after the miles they had covered that day heading back to Konoha. She would have to say goodbye to him tomorrow, and so instead of falling back asleep, she desperately drank in his affectionate touch. The way his arm wrapped around her waist and up her back. The way his knee had firmly planted itself between her thighs. His hot breath spreading up her chest and feeding the warmth of her blush.

Hinata blinked in surprise as she felt his chakra respond to her smooth caress, sliding her hand down to Naruto's neck to feel his slow steady pulse. No, he was definitely asleep, the dead weight of his chest upon her stomach was more than enough confirmation. Hinata felt her heart swell with the awesome realization that even without intention, his body, _his spirit_ , craved her. His chakra was cozy, and lazy like a cloud rolling heavily through the sky, a warm blanket during a rainstorm. He restored her, magnified her. The pool of chakra carefully set aside for her Strength of a Hundred Seal, which she had diligently been adding to over the years, a spoonful at a time, was suddenly drinking in buckets all at once. Hinata relished the feeling of revival, of satisfaction, that washed over her just like after their first kiss. She had thought it was just the euphoria of that particular event, but now in the peace of the night, she meditated in wonder over the way his chakra empowered her own. United they were even more potent than when separated.

Hinata stared at his face, lax in sleep and heartbreakingly peaceful. Hinata hadn't said anything, but she had noticed the new line between his eyebrows, and the definition of his tense jaw muscle. She knew his face like she knew her own, and the signs of his frequent frowning and clenching were a testimony to the harsh stresses he had endured. She wished she could be with him day in and day out, a small comfort in a tumultuous world.

Her fingers drifted to his brow, smoothing over the new crease, down the bridge of his fine, straight nose, which was tanned an even darker shade, and delicately brushing the pad of her finger over his full bottom lip.

The memory of those lips pressed hotly against her own had her fidgeting under him, and the tone of her chakra shifted from a soothing lullaby to a pulsing beat. Instantly Naruto's own chakra responded, meeting her rhythm and feeding her fire. Hinata smirked at the effect she had on him even in his unconsciousness. He loved her, it was obvious.

She slowly drifted back to sleep, but their chakras continued to undulate together, back and forth like the easy swing of a rocking chair. And in the night, her cup overflowed.

* * *

Naruto had known that something was very wrong as soon as he saw the red-eyed crow. He had stopped mid leap on a tree branch, causing the others to turn and look for him as they slowed their progress as well. The crow had swooped down out of nowhere, picking the sleeve of his shirt with its beak and shooting off into the canopy with a demanding caw that put his nerves on edge.

"Shino!" He yelled to the captain of the team, "there's something wrong up ahead. Prepare for anything. Hime!" She was at his side already, a kunai in her hand. "Follow that crow!"

It was worse than he feared. The road in front of the nondescript outpost that Naruto vaguely remembered from his travels as a front for a booming bounty office was covered in blood. The Nin who seemed to be the source of most of the blood was laughing like a crazed man from within his crimson circle. Naruto recognized the symbol and his heart froze.

Choji saw them first, his face covered in dirt, hair mussed in a way that testified to his multiple attempts at his family's Human Bullet Tank, and panting from the effort. His mouth dropped open as the four shinobi dropped out of the canopy to their side. "Na-Naruto?!"

As much as he would have liked to catch up, Naruto was all too aware of what kind of monster stood facing them. He nodded to Choji who collapsed to his knees in relief, and joined Shikamaru where he still faced the cackling enemy, Asuma's trench knives dangling from his shadow jutsu's reaching arms.

"He's not human," Shikamaru growled, sweating profusely from chakra exhaustion, not even batting an eye at the appearance of the long missing blond by his shoulder. The trench knives twirled and flew through the air, but were batted away by the obscenely large three-bladed scythe the man possessed. Hinata hit her knees next to Ino, her hands joining the other kunoichi in pouring their healing chakra into Asuma's body. He was alive, but wounded somewhere underneath his vest, and blood was starting to pool beneath him.

"We have to get him out of that symbol," Shikamaru said, forcing himself not to look down at Asuma and see the pallor of his skin. "When he is in it—"

"He can kill the one he has cursed." Naruto finished grimly. He knew of this man. Had heard of his god and seen the abominations the other followers called 'worship'. The discarded cloak with red clouds was all the confirmation he needed.

"You did well Shika. He's one powerful son of a bitch. Let us handle the rest." Naruto forced as much confidence into his voice as he possibly could, and it seemed to work as he noted the slump of relief in the Nara's shoulders.

"Wait!" Shikamaru croaked before Naruto could focus on a plan to finish the battle. "He has a partner, hanging back. He already stitched the sicko's head back on once. Troublesome, but you need to keep them separate."

Naruto reached out with his senses and gulped at the insanely massive chakra signature nearby. _Get ready Kyuubi, looks like we may have a battle royale on our hands here._

**It's about time you had a decent fight, you were getting lazy up there with those damn frogs.**

Naruto unleashed a feral, fanged toothed grin and shouted, "Kiba! Shino! Follow my lead!"

Hidan was already missing an arm, but seemed unfazed by the lost appendage. "Hurry up Hidan," Kakuzu growled from where he leaned against the building, "I want to collect my bounty before the end of the day."

"I could wrap this shit up a hell of a lot faster if a certain selfish bastard would reattach my bloody arm!"

Kakuzu clicked his teeth in annoyance. "I already fixed your head against my better judgment, since now I have to listen to your stupid prayers again."

"And fuck you too! You greedy heathen!"

His scythe suddenly shot out with deadly precision, but Kiba and Akamaru were faster. Hidan waggled his eyebrows in glee, "Well, well! This little punk and his bitch have some speed! Let's see if you can out run Jashin-sama!"

"Don't let his blade touch you!" Shikamaru shouted as Kiba pounced back and forth, dodging the rapid slashes and nearly tangling the weapon's chain upon itself. Hidan screamed with frustration at his interrupted ritual, not noticing Akamaru coming up behind him until the Ninken sunk its teeth deeply into the Jashinist's only remaining wrist. Asuma and Hidan both screamed in pain as Akamaru's ferocious bite mark bloomed with fresh blood upon the Sarutobi's arm.

"Don't hurt him! Just get him out of the circle!" Naruto barked, already signaling to Shino to prepare his hive, and glancing toward the edge of the forest where a clone sat channeling Nature Energy. _Just a little more…_

"The circle is the problem, eh? Let's take care of that!" Kiba launched into a _Tsūga_ that he purposefully aimed at the ground, the impact obliterating the bloody circle and throwing Hidan onto the road. The Akatsuki member was shouting a string of foul curses as Akamaru ripped his final hand clean off his arm, dragging it and the scythe far out of reach. In a single swipe of his chakra blade Naruto severed the screaming head once again, and at his signal Shino's beetles descended upon the remains.

"Those motherfuckers are eating my beautiful body!"

Naruto snatched up the decapitated skull and ran back to the group, warily keeping a sensory awareness on the second Nin, and tossing the cussing anathema into the dirt where it rolled to a stop by Akamaru's growling snout. The adrenaline of the battle was making everything feel like it was happening in slow motion, adding to the jarring juxtaposition of such a heated bloodbath next to the intense sorrow of his comrades. Naruto's focus was drawn like a magnet to the unbelievable scene before him. Ino was nearing hysterics, all the chakra she and Hinata were infusing wasn't enough, Asuma was bleeding too fast. _We…we were too late_. Hinata's hands were shaking as she bit her lips, forcing herself to double her efforts. All Naruto could hear was the pounding of his heart in his ears as Shikamaru shakily knelt by his sensei's side and leaned down as the rain started to fall, turning his ear to catch his mentor's desperate last words as they left his pale lips.

Naruto's orange ringed eyes and Hinata's Byakugan saw each whispered syllable, just before the broken jonin's body relaxed in existential defeat. _Take care of Kurenai, and our child..._

They both **exploded**.

A blast of chakra from her inner core made Hinata's midnight hair flare out behind her like the wings of an archangel. Team Ten and Eight fell back, arms coming up to protect their eyes as a purple light encased her body, coalescing upon her furrowed brow. Her eyes shone like stars, narrowed in fierce concentration, as the purple diamond seal of A Hundred Healings solidified, then split into inky black tendrils streaking down her face, twisting around her neck, streaming across her arms and though her hands where they gripped Asuma's nearly dead body, refusing to loosen her hold on his soul. The seal jumped along his torso, wrapping up his spirit, his heart, his blood, his very life, and ripped it out of the Shinigami's greedy grasp. As Hinata waged her war with The Reaper, her voice rang out in holy judgment, she would not relent, she would not give up. The shinobi knelt around her in astonishment, knowing that they saw a miracle before them, and trembled in awesome fear of her power as her mighty shout rang out like the chorus of heaven.

Naruto's screech was the chant of hell. All those months, all that training, and he was _too late_. Grief fueled the crimson fury that cloaked his body and incinerated his mind, and he saw nothing of what was happening behind his back, as he locked onto the chakra signature of the remaining Akatsuki. A jagged tail of demonic chakra stabbed with the speed of light across the road, impaling the center of that goddamned black cloak with the sound of shattering stone, pinning the hooded shinobi to the wall of the bounty office.

Kakuzu snarled at the unexpected loss of his first heart from the sudden and swift attack, and his stoic annoyance surged into livid aggravation. "I'll not let you steal my bounty Demon!" Black tentacles tore out of his cloaked figure, shredding the red clouds stitched onto the fabric, and flying through the air toward the group behind Naruto. A second chakra tail erupted, slashing across the writhing appendages and severing them before they could pass the now enraged jinchuriki. Naruto's fangs glinted with his bloodthirsty grin, he had never before felt the urgent craving to kill someone with such intensity, to take back a life for the one stolen, to balance the crooked scales of justice.

The two morphed with every blow, every white masked visage was met with the emergence of another tail, each more searing than the last. Naruto forgot time, forgot his purpose, forgot his name, all he knew was loathing, all he felt was the ache within his claws to bite into this creature's flesh, all he saw was its revolting antipathy as it thrashed out with hundreds of slimy black tentacles.

Choji had been the first to react as the seal finally receded back upon Hinata's forehead, the purple diamond glowing with her throbbing heartbeats that reflected the ragged breaths of their sensei. He grabbed the man's weak body, anxiously trying to outrun the ominous troughs of broken earth that were racing towards them from the direction of the final Akatsuki member. Two hands attached to the deadly tentacles emerged from the torn ground, one grabbed Shikamaru's leg and the other latched onto Ino's neck. The black tentacles centered on their chests, ready to pierce and steal their panic stricken hearts, but Kiba and Akamaru managed to tear the sentient leashes from their intended victims. Shino stumbled over, reeling from the ingestion of the large amount of foul chakra his hive had absorbed with the decimation of Hidan's corpse, but managed to send two swarms down the holes and force the thwarted hands back toward their owner.

"Get him away!" Hinata commanded, her Byakugan boring into the Akatsuki monstrosity that now resembled a den of vipers with four eerily stoic white masks, and one malicious grin. She braced to run towards Naruto, intent on joining him in battle, when the _Mizu_ mask yawned its mouth open like a grotesque goblin and a tidal wave washed across the land. Her hands flashed through signs that redirected the water around them and into the forest, where it broke in massive frothing mountains of white capped waves upon the trees. Kiba called out an earth jutsu that raised the ground beneath them, offering even more height to aid in their flight to safety.

Naruto tore across the chopping waves in sizzling steps, the minute amount of regulation he held over his demonic chakra coat starting to fray, taking layers of his own skin off as his desire for revenge upset the balance of his control. He might be dying, but the ecstasy of his impending kill removed all his care. To retreat was to let that bastard live another day. And that was one day too many.

The water mask shattered under the impact of his hell fire. Naruto's entire being was an inferno that sought to incinerate the damned soul before him. All the moist vegetation around the dueling shinobi instantly evaporated under the heat of his wild bijuu chakra, even Hinata couldn't get close to him. The others were hunched under the scalding weight of Naruto's killing intent, struggling to continue their escape even under the billowing chakra burden of the nearby fight.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata screamed as the wind picked up around them, his body was nothing but a black and red synthesis of boiling flesh and chakra, his eyes had gone white, as his bestial howl shook the air. The others were too hurt, too spent to run faster, and they were burdened by an unconscious Asuma. If Naruto escalated any more, he would kill them all, as well as himself…

"Stop!" She used the water around her to load her palms with a hundred water bullets, launching them with sonic speed and pin point accuracy into the face of the fire mask, shattering it just before it could unleash another wave of deadly heat. Her skin burned like she was entering a furnace, the fringes of her shirt smoking under the ungodly heat. "Naruto-kun, you're hurting us, _stop_!"

The wind snatched away her words, merging into a vortex around Naruto and Kakuzu, coating his body to shield it from the currents of electricity that danced down the tentacles from the Lightning mask. The black snakes had latched onto his neck, his arms, three of his five tails, and were pouring every ounce of their attack into the jinchuriki's body. Hinata bowed under the building storm of elements, trying to fight her way to what was left of her love, all the while monitoring their fleeing teammates with her Byakugan.

The intensity of the transformation was now penetrating every system of Naruto's body, the strain of his first ever usage of five tails straining his muscles and bones beyond their limits. His vision was starting to blacken on the sides, his voice was more howl than human. He couldn't hear anything, anyone, or even his own voice in his head. Nothing but feral instinct was left. He would have his revenge. He would have his kill. He would punish the wicked. A flicker of a memory, incoherent and yet oh so tantalizing flashed through his storming thoughts. With the last vestiges of his humanity he poured his anger, his heartbreak, his _Fūton_ , and his demon into one final technique. The echoes of hell resounded in his cry, " _Rasenshuriken_!"

Hinata saw it coming, she didn't know what Naruto was doing, but the chakra he was collecting between the knifelike tips of his two free tails was cataclysmic, the fall out of such a jutsu would be like a bomb. Her face twisted in agony as she did the thing she never thought she would ever have to do…she turned her back on him.

With a speed that burned her legs to their max, she tore back towards the vulnerable Konoha group, biting her thumb as she desperately leapt with all her might, landing just behind them and calling out, " _Kuchiyose no jutsu_!"

Just as the world exploded she felt the slimy coolness of Katsuyu engulf her.

* * *

"Just leave it."

Hinata winced at the sharp tone of his voice. Naruto had barely allowed her to even look at him long enough to wrap the worst of the wounds. Nearly his whole body was an ugly mess of peeling, burned skin that curled away from painfully raw flesh and wept with pink serosanguinous fluid into the fresh bandages. His self loathing oozed as much as his blistered form. She wanted to heal him, mind and body, but as she had approached once more, with hands tinged in green healing, he had recoiled away as though afraid of her tenderness.

The rain that had started earlier pattered noisily on the canvas roof of the tent where she had placed him, separate from the others so they could focus on each other while the rest rejoiced in Asuma's near resurrection. Her friend was in no mood to celebrate, his suffering was immense, and Hinata couldn't help but sigh at his mental and physical anguish. "Naruto-kun, I don't care what you look like right now. It doesn't bother me. I just want to ease the pain. Some of those wounds will scar if you don't let me—"

"Then let them scar. Let them disfigure me. I'm already a monster on the inside, the outside might as well match." Had he been able to swipe at her hands Naruto would have done so, but even with his ridiculous tolerance for suffering he could hardly bear to breathe with the pain of his charred chest.

Sometimes Hinata hated him.

She hated him when he thought like this. Like he owed the world nothing but perfection. Like he had to be faultless in every way. Like the burden of a threat was his alone to bear. Like he was in any way the beast he held within him. Like he was less valuable to her just because he wasn't constantly in control. Like she could ever see him as anything less than wonderful. Anything less than strong. Anything less than _loved_.

She blinked. Did…did he not realize she loved him, infinitely, blamelessly, entirely? _Kami, this poor, stupid man._

"Naruto-kun that's not true and you know it! Listen to me, I'm never going to leave it be. I'm never going to leave you. I'm never going to give up—"

"Dammit woman, don't you see? _I fucked up!_ " His choked voice was rough with emotion and agony.

"How can you say that?" She instantly retorted. Waving her rejected hands in disbelief at his stubbornness. "You _won_! We are safe, we did it. And your body will heal faster if you just let me—"

Naruto suddenly reared up off the pile of blankets where he laid, wretched self hatred propelling him past the torment of his injuries, as he lashed out at her while clumsily ripping at the carefully applied bandages.

"You don't get it!" He snarled when she tried to stay his hands, " _I broke my word!_ I lost control! I WANTED to kill him. I WANTED to see the life leave his eyes. I WANTED to spill his blood a thousand times over and I wasn't going to stop no matter who got in my way. I couldn't tell friend from foe, all I saw was _hate_. Don't you see!? I'll never be able to uphold my promise to the village, because I'll never be safe. I'll never be able to look the Hokage in the eye and swear that I am not a bloodthirsty bijuu, that I will not unleash his demonic hatred. Because I _did_. I am everything the villagers said I was. I don't deserve this headband!"

"Shut up." She whispered.

He ignored her, crying out in cut off sobs as he struggled to his feet. "I don't deserve to be near anyone."

"Shut _up_."

"I'm not trustworthy. I'm not _worthy_..."

"SHUT UP!" She shot to her feet, easily blocking his pitifully weak attempt at fleeing the tent.

"Open your goddamned eyes Hime!" The bellow of his voice shaking with his self loathing, his defeat, his dejection. "I'm just another mindless killing machine. I'm just a godforsaken _jinchuriki_!"

The sound of her hand slapping his cheek cut off his rant, ending it in a growl of pain as Hinata firmly grabbed his face in her palms and forced her chakra into his system. He gasped, the fresh wash of her natural aura like a blast of minty salve upon his raw wounds.

Tears poured freely down his whiskered cheeks, shamelessly honest in her presence, unfettered by any masculine need to hide his innermost vulnerability from her. Hinata's hand glowed fiercely, all gentleness gone, and she invaded his system with her emotions as well as her chakra. All her certainty fought his doubt. Her relief fought his despair. Her devotion fought his detachment. Her faith fought his fear. Wordlessly she filled him up to overflowing with her truth.

The wall around his soul caved beneath the weight of her heart. The anger and adrenaline melted, and his tortured body collapsed. Hinata caught him, easily, smoothly, possessively, within her arms. His fingers threaded up into her hair, the shredded loose ends of his bandages dragging over her shoulders as he pulled her forehead to his own. His whole aura reeking of heartbreaking fragility.

"Why…Hime?" He panted out the question.

With godly patience, and stony resolve, she answered, "because I love you."

His hands fisted into her thick strands, his features twisting into a grimace as he hissed his sobs through his teeth.

"How could you love me? I am a failure. A coward. A murderer. A monster. You are purity. You are Hyuga. You are _Hime_. Why would you love me?"

Hinata brushed her thumbs over his eyes, tenderly wiping away his tears until he cracked open his watery blue gaze to lock onto her own, to connect with her as she poured her convictions into his shattered mind.

"Because I _see_ you, Naruto-kun."

His brow slid against her own, never breaking contact as he shook his head in disbelief. Incredulous excuses tumbling from his lips. "I left you. I hurt you. I failed."

"My love is patient, it will not abandon you when you are away."

"I am full of faults."

"My love holds no grudges."

"I have no clan, no standing of my own."

"My love is not proud."

"I will only bring you hardship because of what I am."

"My love will protect you."

"I cannot promise you a happy ending, my life is not guaranteed from one day to the next."

"My love perseveres through eternity."

"I have so much to hide, so many secrets I must keep from the world that burden my soul."

"My love will be your truth."

Naruto buried his face into her neck and his stuttered breaths panted across her shoulder as his arms pulled her into a fierce embrace like a drowning man clinging to a lifeline in a storm. Hinata relished the passion of his affection, her body opening up to accept and reciprocate his bombarding gust of chakra even as her grasp tightened around his neck.

"Naruto-kun," she whispered into his ear, imagining her chakra carving her love, her identity, her _everything_ , across his heart like a chisel on stone. "My love never fails."

His breath wooshed out of him as though he had been struck, and he pulled back his head, gazing down at her shining lavender eyes with wonder. The corners of his mouth curved up in the softest of smiles, as he felt her spirit engrave into his soul.

"I love you, Hime."

He kissed her softly, tenderly, unhurriedly. She accepted him as he was, and he gave all that he had. They melded together, and they healed.

Naruto relished in the forgiveness and love that enveloped his being as he held this amazing woman, this powerful kunoichi, this potent healer, in his humble embrace. He wished he could stay by her side forever, if for no other reason than to watch in awe as she moved through life with the grace of an angel and the lethality of a sharpened blade. He wanted the world to know she was his other half, that he alone was man enough to dare to lay claim to such a formidable woman. To mark her forever…

A thought blossomed in his head, but as quickly as his heart leapt at the solution, his mind hesitated at the magnitude of the request. He had put her through so much, she had already given him more than he ever deserved. Could he dare to ask her for one more selfish gift?

Naruto straightened slowly, studying her beautifully flushed face as she licked her lips in a way that made his gut clench.

Naruto knew he loved her.

He always had. He had loved the way she thanked him when he jumped in to save her from those bullies. He loved the way she had smiled at him even when everyone else greeted him only with hate filled glares. He loved the way she had showered him with affection in the form of a scarf knit together with meticulous care, stitch by stitch, _hours_ of investment, simply for his enjoyment. He had loved the way she believed in him, even when everyone saw him as the dead last. He loved the way she never feared him, even when he became a monster. He loved the way she fought, unselfishly and unashamedly declaring her truths for all to see. He loved her. Period.

"I-I want to mark you," he blurted out into the darkness of the tent. Hinata's blush intensified until Naruto thought he could feel the heat simmering under her wide eyed gaze. He swallowed thickly at the lump of nervousness that suddenly climbed up his throat, mentally scrambling for the words to justify his unexpected statement. "N-Not because I think you're some kind of possession of mine, or anything like that! You're an independent kunoichi, and I would never try to take that away." Her expression eased, but confusion still filled her features, so she waited as he tried to talk, then hesitated, and instead released her and started to crawl around and fumble through the tent looking for his ninja pouch.

Naruto grunted at the bite of pain the movement caused, but noted the immense amount of healing he had achieved while Hinata had joined her chakra to his own, despite the fact that she had never tapped into her healing element for even a moment. For the hundredth time he marveled at the effects she had on his mind, body, and soul. He had never heard of lovers who had ever bonded the way they did, and he meant to take it a step further, if she allowed him…

Naruto rummaged in his pouch and pulled out a three-pronged kunai, flipping it around so that the seal unique to his chakra alone was visible. "I've never done it before, to be completely honest," he scratched the back of his head nervously as she stared at the precise characters of the seal. "But I read in my father's notes that the _Hiraishin_ can be applied to anything…and anyone." Hinata's breath froze for a moment, as her finger reached out to tentatively trace the array. Naruto thought his heart might explode in the silence of her thoughtful assessment, and awkwardly rambled on to fill the gap.

"It would have some limits, depending on my chakra level and distance. But essentially, with this, I could come to you any time. You could even channel your own chakra into it and summon me, anytime you needed help." Her head snapped up and he frantically waved his half bandaged hand as he rushed to clarify. "N-Not that I think you're weak! Kami, after what you've done these last few day, the Shodaime himself would think twice before entering into battle with you!"

Hinata smiled at his misunderstanding of her surprise, and the adorable way he was back pedaling before he even heard her answer. She knew what she would say with same calm certainty with which she new the sun would rise in the morning. But there was a thread of fear that held her back from openly declaring her decision. She had been marked before, the ugly green seal was now centered around the purple diamond of her _Byakugo no In_. Hinata automatically touched her forehead, feeling the faintly raised edges where the Caged Bird Seal had scarred her young skin all those years ago. She knew her heart was convinced, but her mind needed a bit more persuading, so she honestly laid out her fears before him.

"Why, then?" Her voice was fragile as glass, and seeing her gesture Naruto instantly understood. He reached up and grasped her hand from where it brushed her forehead and threaded his fingers through her own, replacing the touch of her hand with the press of his lips upon her seal. Hinata closed her eyes and whispered, "If not for possession or protection, why would you want to add another brand to my body?"

Naruto rearranged his legs, lowering himself completely down upon his knees and flattening his hands upon the ground before her. He bowed lowly until she was staring in shock down upon the crown of his blond head, and his voice held nothing but reverence as he spoke.

"Hime, the thought of binding myself to you in a way that defies time and space would bring me more pleasure than any amount of power, any amount of recognition, any amount of wealth, or any promise of destiny that Kami could bestow upon me. More than I want anything else in this life or the next, I want _you_ , Hime. I love you, Hyuga Hinata, and it would be my honor for you to bear my mark."

Hinata's body nearly swooned, but she fought back the rush of rapture to reach out and pull his head up meet her eager lips, the joy and pleasure of his declaration stealing her words and filling her eyes with tears. Finally releasing his mouth with a laughing gasp, she squealed when he tugged her down to his side upon the rumpled pile of blankets.

"Yes, _yes_!" she gasped into his chest, "I want you with me always. I want to be yours alone."

His hand slid up the back of her shirt, his rough palm pressed firmly into the smooth expanse of skin between her shoulder blades. Naruto pushed enough to feel her soft breasts press into his chest, aligning their hearts, and sending his to fluttering madly. He looped his arm around her waist craving all the contact he could get as he gathered chakra into his hand. "Hold on to me," he whispered, ducking his head to catch her lips as he felt the technique tingling across his fingertips, reaching its peak. "And never let go."

* * *

Sometimes Karin hated him.

She hated how his presence changed the laws of time and space. Alone in the Kami-forsaken depths of the labs, walking in the ethereal glow of one tank after another of mutant experiments, she lived minute by minute. Breath by breath. A forced, conscious effort to simply exist within the hell of tubes and wires and monitors and machines. But when she was with him, the hours bled away into a series of intangible exultations that made her question whether she deserved such pleasure.

She hated how he thought himself immortal, and threw himself into the harshest training regimes that The Snake and his Creep could conjure up. She hated how he stoically endured the hours of torture, refusing to stop until he was barely able to breathe and blood poured from his lips. She hated the fevers and convulsions that swept over his strong body every time Kabuto found a new poison with which to test his immune system. Her last hope for life, for happiness, was rooted in his existence, without him she would wither, and crumble to dust.

Sometimes she loved him.

She loved how with just a touch he could restore her humanity. She was constantly in need of revival from her course outer persona of distain and carelessness. He was a fire that melted the ice of her heart. And under his caress, she _burned_.

She loved the haven of his protective presence. All her life, she had been running, hiding, escaping, searching. All her life she had been taught to distrust, and guard. All her life, she had known betrayal. Her mother had not come home. The village did not protect her. The work was not for a worthy cause. Yet Sasuke had never broken his word. Anything, from assisting her with Hana-san, to stubbornly surviving the night as he sweat through one blanket after another with fever, he had fulfilled all his promises to her. He had known betrayal as well, he understood that words were sacred.

She loved how he craved her, not for her gifts, but for her existence. At night when he pinned her body beneath his it was not his teeth that pierced her skin but his lips that whispered across her scars. He took only as he gave, and she subdued him as often as he dominated her.

Now here he was, staggering towards her, clothing shredded, inky curse marks retreating across his skin, blood dripping from his mouth and spattered over his chest, sword dangling from his trembling fingers. She shakily stood to her feet, the pool of blood where she had knelt staining her shins, her hair plastered to her forehead with sweat, meters and meters of golden chains tinkling across the destroyed flagstones and into her fingers, glowing with all the chakra she had sucked from her victim.

Broken glass crunched beneath Sasuke's feet. She stepped over Kabuto's withered corpse, or what was left of it after she had finished him. The heady power of the stolen chakra fed to her through her chains made her dizzy, and she was nearly spinning with the euphoria of a battle won, a vendetta satisfied, and energy restored.

"You did it," he smirked, his voice raspy with fatigue, and his sword clanked to the floor as he reached for her. She floated into his arms, allowing him to lean on her. "Of course I did, idiot. Just like you, I see." She tossed her glasses away, the lenses were shattered, and she just wanted to feel him.

"Hn," was his only response, but she shuddered at the feel of his thrumming chakra, depleted but exultant from his victory over The Snake. They were free. _Holy shit, we're FREE._

"What now," he murmured into her neck, his head falling forward upon her shoulder, and she shifted again to support him.

"Burn it." She bit out, her red eyes dancing over his head as they scanned the ruins of the lab where she had ambushed the unsuspecting medic nin as he poured over yet another profane experiment. "But first, I want you to bite me."

Sasuke grunted against her skin, and she felt his hands tighten on her hips, but she stood firm despite knowing how he hated to use her. "It will leave another scar," he mumbled, too tired to lift his head. Karin reached up and yanked open the collar of her shirt, exposing a small, blemishless piece of her body at the base of her neck, just over her leaping pulse.

"I don't care, I want _you_ to mark me Sasuke."

His eyes flared red with carnal glee and a smile slowly spread across his face as she stared up at him in defiant elation, her cheeks flushing pink despite the stern set of her lips. He bent his head and brushed his mouth over her pale skin, inhaling deeply as his tongue stroked her, and then sank his teeth deeply into her shivering flesh. They clung to one another as her lascivious cries echoed throughout the empty labyrinth of the massacred hide-out.

* * *

Within the bronze barred cage, the Kyuubi blinked his eyes open, rolling over from where he lay exhausted after first having to fight to restrain the brat, _a lot of good that did_ , and then pouring his chakra into every last cell of the idiot's body to keep him alive. He hated to think what his siblings would say if they knew what he had allowed himself to be reduced to.

The glowing chakra that had awakened him shook the entire chamber, flashing across the large wall that faced his cage on the other side of his prison bars in a dancing serpentine motion. The Fox's ears twitched, this was different, this had never happened before when the girl had mixed her chakra into his container's body.

With a final blast of light, the trail glowed and then faded, revealing the elegant strokes now carved permanently into the stone of the boy's mindscape.

_"Hyuga Hinata"_

He stared at the inscription, and chuckled deeply as he tucked his head back into his nine tails to rest. The boy was one whipped motherfucker. But at least he had good taste.


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**Chapter 31**

"Hmm," Kiba tapped his red tattooed cheek in thought, "…Toad." _RUFF_. "Hehe, Akamaru agrees." Shikamaru rolled his eyes and Kiba jabbed a finger at him, "Don't even say it Nara! He's a _Ninja_ Canine, he totally gets a vote!"

"Such a pain, fine. I say Slug. It'll be easier to cloud watch above the trees as we travel."

"Ugh, no thanks. That slime is just…way too much. Toad." Ino tried to flip her hair, but failed miserably since it was still slightly crunchy with the dried up snail slime of Katsuyu from the previous day. _What I wouldn't give for a long soak in a steaming onsen._

"Definitely Toad. Why do you ask? Because my hive…never forgets." The deeply voiced threat that accompanied the flash of Shino's glasses had all of Team Ten looking at Kiba for an explanation. "Its a looooong story," he sighed and crossed his arms. "I'll tell you on the ride home."

"I vote Slug," Choji said in between bites, having opened his third bag of chips that morning. "Sorry Ino, but all that jumping makes my stomach upset." Ino scrunched her nose at the frustrating choice between Akamichi level emesis and slug excretions.

"Same," Asuma smiled wryly from where he sat leaning up against a tree, his skin was pale but the gleam was back in his eyes, and the cigarette between his lips no longer trembled.

"PUSSY! Toad all the way! I wanna feel the wind in my hair one last time—OW! BITCH, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!"

Ino yanked Hidan's screeching head up by the hair, and sent the bodiless cranium swinging like a macabre pendulum with the unrestrained face slap she delivered point blank.

"You don't get a vote damn it! I don't know why this is so hard for you to understand, but _you are our prisoner_. We are taking you back to Konoha where I will personally and _gleefully_ rummage through your mind with all the tender gentleness of a rabid raccoon digging through a week old dumpster in search of a fucking cookie! So for the last time, shut your foul little piss hole before I put you in a coma so full of sparkly rainbows that you'll be the first assless wonder to ever shit sunshine! Have I mAde MySelF CLEaR!"

_Crickets_. Hidan's purple eyes were nearly bugging out of their sockets as he struggled, for the first time in his life, to find the words to voice his thoughts, finally landing on the only coherent summary of his complex emotions.

"I wish I could fuck you."

"AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!"

As the rest of the shinobi awkwardly looked away as a rage filled Ino stuffed Hidan's head into a rucksack like a dirty pair of underwear while angrily snorting like her namesake, Shikamaru cleared his throat forcefully. "Um, maybe we should ask Hinata and Naruto, it's their summons after all. Where are they?"

"Right here," Naruto chirped straight into Shikamaru's ear.

"AH! Dammit Naruto! Stop that!" Naruto laughed heartily at his old friend's expense. Ever since they were kids, Shikamaru had complained that Naruto didn't have a quiet bone in his body, and just to prove him wrong the biggest prankster in Konoha had decided to make the Nara's most peaceful times a living hell by always popping up out of nowhere when he least expected it. So many amazingly relaxing naps had been sabotaged by that soundless kid, and apparently he had only gotten better.

"Sorry sorry Shika! I couldn't resist," Naruto wiped a tear from his eye as he glanced in the direction of some bloodcurdling screams that were suspiciously muffled, but only shrugged before saying, "Hinata was already gone when I got up. I always sleep like the dead when I'm healing." He sheepishly ran a hand up and down his bare arm which still had the shine of freshly healed skin, only a few pinkish spots showing where his body hadn't quite replaced the burns. "Thanks for the extra clothes by the way," he said as Shikamaru twisted a pinkie into his ear as though trying to excavate the sound of Naruto's barking laughter. "Choji's never would've fit and those other guys' stuff was full of bugs and dog hair."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Kiba snorted. By this time Ino had returned to the group dusting her hands off with a satisfied smirk on her face, which she now turned to scrutinize the handsome blond man that had once been the scruffy little punk from their genin days. _Damn, that Hinata is a lucky girl_ , she thought as she watched him banter easily with everyone, her eyes drifting over Naruto's broad shoulders and tall frame which filled the leaner Nara's shirt with a tantalizingly firm definition of muscle, not to mention the way his shaggy golden bangs hung over his dazzling blue eyes, and that roguishly crooked smile…

"See something interesting, Ino-chan?" Hinata's overly sweet sing-song voice made the girl stiffen and quickly spin around to greet the pulsing Byakugan that loomed inches from her flushed face.

"What? No! We-we were just discussing which summons to ride back to Konoha. Weren't we Choji!"

"LIAR!" Hidan yelled from somewhere to the right. "You were drinking him in like sex on the beach!"

"How the fuck did you get out?" Ino snarled as she dashed off after his maniacally laughing rolling head.

More crickets. Shino adjusted his glasses. "The _Grylloidea_ are especially active for this time of day."

"I think you need an antibiotic for that," Naruto peered at the Aburame's mostly hidden face. "Ero-sennin got it once from this lady in the Land of Snow—"

"We can ask Katsuyu to take us," Hinata smoothly interrupted Naruto's gross misunderstanding of Shino's vocabulary and quickly stepped back to make room for her summons as she prepared to bite her thumb. "Besides, Katsuyu can assist with healing Asuma-sensei some more and update Tsunade-sama at the same time."

"Sold," Asuma grunted as Shikamaru helped him to his feet.

Moments later as the others climbed up onto the Slug's moist back, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, Hinata made her way over to Naruto's side, and he reached out to engulf her into a fierce hug.

"I don't wanna leave you," he whined into her shoulder, making her giggle with the pecking kisses he planted up her neck with his pouting lips.

"Where are you going next?" she asked, tilting her head to allow him access to more of her skin, which sent goose bumps rippling down her arms.

Naruto fit his mouth over hers in a grand finale of affection that nearly had Hinata's foot popping and definitely left her breathless before he deemed to answer her question. He grinned down at her swollen lips, running a thumb across them smugly as he answered. "We wanted to scope out the ruins in Uzushio before we came back. How long that takes depends on what we find, and how often Ero-sennin needs to check back in with The Network. There's a lot I have to think about after what happened yesterday, a lot of…growing…I still need to do before I can ever use _that_ chakra again." Naruto couldn't disguise the drop in his tone as he referenced the events of yesterday's fight.

Hinata nodded, teasing the light back into his eyes with a small flare of her chakra. Naruto's mouth quirked up and he squeezed her hip with his hand, placing the other over the hidden mark he had left between her shoulder blades and making it tingle. She gasped slightly, the sensation within the seal seemed to radiate with his emotions as well as his chakra, as though she could almost sense his state of mind. He seemed sad, but contented in a warm fuzzy way, and also something deeper and more fulfilling. She looked up into his eyes and saw clearly the emotion she could feel as solid as a cornerstone beneath her feet, his love.

She buried her face into his chest, her cheeks flushing with her joy and excitement that this was their new normal, that they were _together_ , and that so many possibilities opened up before them in the future. They just had to get past this last departure, each attending to their own training so that they could become the powerful team they aspired to be. The ones who would change Konoha. Hinata gazed again up into Naruto's face, and tapped her forehead against his bare one. He frowned a bit, rubbing the empty space where his _hitae-ate_ was usually displayed, now gone along with the rest of his clothes in the wake of his burning chakra. But Hinata grinned at him brightly because she had one last thing to give him to hopefully keep him from feeling too sad after they parted ways. She slipped her hand into her sleeve and pulled out the object that she had gotten up so early to find. She had combed over the battle site with her Byakugan to find it, and found a secluded place down by the river to carefully complete her farewell gift.

Naruto's mouth dropped open as he released her to reach out with trembling hands and receive the neatly sewn red headband with Iruka's well worn hitae-ate plate attached to it. He would know that fabric anywhere, had thought it was charred beyond saving when he had watched through the blinding pain as Hime had peeled the remains of the precious red scarf from his neck last night. He tied the long red tails behind his head, knotting them with a firm yank as he raised his watery eyes to her with a disbelieving grin.

"You like it?" Hinata resisted the urge to poke her fingertips together as she bit her lip, internally pleased with the new look the deep red headband gave him.

"I don't know what I did to deserve someone like you, Hime, but Kami, I'll do it for all eternity if I can have you for just this lifetime," he murmured into her ear, sweeping her up off her feet and twirling her around, her midnight hair and his long red tails twisting together as they danced across the small clearing.

"UGH, get a goddamned room Romeo. Let's get this show on the road, my forehead is burning in this fucking radiation. Hey Bitch, could you not sit six inches further to the left and give a guy some shade?" Ino slammed her fist into the top of Hidan's head so hard he sunk down into the slug's mucous covered body until nothing could be seen but a few tendrils of silver hair.

"You're welcome," she smiled at the grateful expression on Hinata's face.

A small pop of smoke heralded the arrival of a frantic looking toad that Hinata didn't recognize. "Namikaze-sama!" The creature squeaked out as Naruto swiftly knelt next to the hyperventilating summons. "It's Jiraiya-sama! Something's wrong! He summoned Ma and Pa to a fight in Amegakure, but they just returned near death and said he is gravely injured as well. You need to go find him! NOW!"

"Shit! Got it," Naruto sprang to his feet and spun around to smack a kiss on Hinata's cheek, "I love you Hime!"

"I love you too!" Hinata barely shouted out the last syllable when a bright light flashed and Naruto was gone. "Be careful," she whispered into the swirling leaves.

* * *

Naruto trudged through the thick nest of vines, slicing a path with lazy swings of his chakra blades, one eye closed as he neatly dodged the snapping slash of one of the last strands of the curling vegetation.

"OW! Dammit Gaki that's the second time you've done that! Gimme a warning will you?"

"Sorry! Ugh, I wasn't paying attention! Are you ok? Do you need to rest? I saw a—"

Jiraiya waved away the stream of worrisome questions, gesturing for Naruto to carry on and flashing him a lopsided grin to let his fretting disciple know he had simply been exaggerating.

Naruto tried to disguise his sigh of relief as a deep breath resulting from the strenuous effort of bush whacking through the dense jungle-like flora and fauna that now covered all of Uzushiogakure. Sweat dotted Jiraiya's brow despite his dismissive motions, and Naruto intentionally slowed his pace to accommodate his recovering mentor. He had nearly lost him that day several weeks ago, and the close call still haunted his dreams. Even now the memory was still fresh in his wandering thoughts.

The first thing he had registered was the chilling rain that pelted his face and soaked his shirt, the water droplets had felt almost artificial, heavier than normal precipitation, and Naruto's mind had never hated the rain so much or so instantly. As he rapidly took in the situation he realized he was back to back with Ero-sennin, who was clutching his tri-pronged kunai, deathly low on chakra, and surrounded by hellish monsters stabbed full of chakra rods that further irritated Naruto's senses. Four or five orange haired shinobi, equally pierced but as expressionless as the beasts were rabid, also stood poised to attack. They all paused, unblinking at the blinding flash of his Hiraishin, and one man that appeared to be only a few years older than himself, with parallel lines of studs tracing down the bridge of his nose, had spoken in an emotionless and deep voice.

"Jinchuriki of the _Kyuubi no Yoko_. I. See. YOU."

Naruto hadn't waited to find out what he wanted. Blood was pouring from Ero-sennin's mouth and he was leaning heavily on Naruto's shoulder as he forced his nerves to steady and lock upon the _Hiraishin_ kunai he had left in Mt. Myoboku. Just as Naruto had felt an unearthly pull upon his person towards that orange-haired shinobi's raised hand, he managed to flash himself and another person to a new location for the first time ever. Naruto wasn't sure which had been the cause of his immediate vomiting upon arrival amongst the waiting Toads, his nausea from the massive jump, or the horrific state of his godfather.

Throughout the following weeks Naruto had anxiously trained, maintained contact with The Network in Ero-sennin's place, and brought back whatever herb, potion, or supply Shima demanded for his care. His throat was too damaged to speak, and so for many nights the two shinobi had passed a tablet back and forth as Jiraiya painstakingly explained what had happened.

The Sannin had recognized the Rain Shinobi who had spoken to Naruto and started to execute the gravitational jutsu. Jiraiya said he was a student from many years ago that he had heard was dead, killed by his teammate in some grab for power of their small rebel group that was campaigning for peace in Ame, back when Hanzo was still the leader. Naruto had watched with pity in his eyes as the firelight had reflected the way Jiraiya's throat bobbed as he swallowed his emotions, strong even all these years later, as he meticulously scribbled his account of the three orphans from Ame that he had rescued after the Third Shinobi War, and tried to provide with a hope for a better tomorrow and the skills to achieve it. The disappointment and guilt that seeped from his weakened body was heartbreaking as he took full responsibility for the abandoning them too soon, leaving them vulnerable to the corruptions of the world, which had somehow led them to become the multinational group of rogue nin who called themselves Akatsuki.

"There's no way to prove that the soulless shinobi you faced was the same kid," Naruto had argued, trying to lift the spirits of his alarmingly depressed godfather. "He would have to be like, ten or fifteen years older than me for that to be true, and that guy looked younger than Dog!"

Jiraiya had shaken his white head forcefully, rapidly scratching upon the tablet and thrusting it into Naruto's face, stabbing at the words with his finger. _Their EYES_.

Of course. They were unforgettable, all their eyes were the same, except for the swooping kunoichi that Naruto had barely registered in the stressful moment. Ero-sennin had later explained that her wings were made of paper, an extremely rare _kekkei genkai_ that had also served to seal their identity in his mind. She was the only one who lacked the eerily ringed purple-gray orbs which had held no emotion, lacked a certain awareness, and yet seemed intimidatingly omniscient. _The Rinnegan_ , Jiraiya had scribbled, the characters warbling with the exhaustion of his weakened hand as he had struggled to grip the brush. Naruto had tutted over his marginally recovered godfather, feigning gruff impatience as he plucked the writing utensil from his godfather's grasp and tucked the Sannin in bed, and then stared with a fixed gaze at his slowly rising chest when sleep swiftly stole over him. _I almost lost him. If I had been a moment later…_

Naruto tried to keep Jiraiya focused on other things as he had slowly recovered over the next few weeks, asking him for a new story, bringing him fresh paper for working on his _Icha Icha_ books, and entertaining him with dramatic reenactments of Shino's reaction to Gamakichi's "mistake" with the Bikochu. One night, while slightly delirious, or more likely drunk, from one of the Toad's more "potent" pain draughts, Naruto had listened with a small smile and dancing eyes as Ero-sennin had elaborated on the lost love of his life, Jiraiya's own Hime, Senju Tsunade. It was a rather tragic tale in Naruto's opinion, seeing as the two Sannin had lost each other and themselves over the years, both buried beneath bitter feelings, broken hearts, and bad habits. However the twinkle of Jiraiya's eyes, the flush of his cheeks, and the titter of his laugh, had all seemed to hint at a hope not quite lost. In the correspondence Naruto kept with the Godaime, he smirked to note the harshly worded but caring threats she demanded he pass on to her healing teammate. That he better take it slow, he was stupid to take such a risk, and make sure that he ate plenty of protein to replenish his muscle and tissues, because the man had a deplorable sweet tooth when he was wallowing in self pity. Naruto had found it rather sweet that Tsunade still knew her teammate so well, and noted that there were more questions about Jiraiya's well-being than the intel he obtained. He gleefully passed on the threats, but kept his personal observations to himself.

It had now been six weeks since the battle, and Jiraiya's voice was back, slightly more hoarse, but as boisterous as ever, yet his stamina was not up to par. However he had threatened to drink the Toad Oil if Naruto didn't get him the hell out of Mt. Myoboku because, in his words, "If I have to eat one more of Shima's home-cooked torture sessions I'm going to lose my goddamned mind!"

So after much strategic discussion, they had gone to Uzushiogakure as they had originally planned. They were wanting to explore the abandoned ruins of Naruto's ancestors, as well as the source of the rarest of the dojutsu: the legendary eye possessed by the enigma behind the Akatsuki, the Rinnegan.

Uzushiogakure was a forgotten paradox of shinobi lore. A place where fairytales met faith and together created legends. Between Jiraiya's knowledge of history, Naruto's blood, and both their _fuuinjutsu_ expertise, they were able to systematically work their way through what remained of the large island's infrastructure, which sadly, wasn't much. The shinobi villages that had decimated Uzushio had been aware that hidden hoards were a ninja's nature and through rockslides, tsunamis, and apocalyptic storms had conspired to send the island back into the sea.

The things they found told a tale of a multicultural melting pot of shinobi clans. By far the two most dominant were the Uzumaki and the Namikaze. Piles of rubble marked locations where their homes and markets once stood. Sometimes they found a few charred pieces of everyday living, and on the rarest of occasions, a scroll. One building that Naruto explored had long been lost to the jungle, but seemed to be a place of business. In it he discovered a safe about the size of Akamaru, now it was all that remained to attest to the many exchanges that must have occurred here in the day to day life of the Uzushio populace. The safe was busted open and most of its papers had turned to dust at the touch of Naruto's finger. However one seemed mostly intact, buried at the bottom and somewhat protected from sight by the sheaths of now useless receipts on top of it. The band around the scroll was not elaborate, but the seal was pristine. He smirked recognizing the handiwork of his clan. The Uzumaki may have been the powerhouses, the immortals, the berserkers, but it was the Namikaze who were the seal masters. The secret keepers. And here it seemed he had stumbled across a forgotten one.

Naruto had sat by the fire for three consecutive nights, fighting with the locked scroll like it was some kind of shinobi Rubik's cube, growing increasingly more frustrated with the stupid formulas and himself. Despite the magnificently uplifting words Hinata had gifted him on their last night together, Naruto's self confidence was sorely shaken. Doubt now loomed over every decision he made, affecting everything from which trail to follow to how to proceed with training his usage of the Kyuubi's chakra. He had promised the Fox that he would one day free them both from hatred, tear down the seal that locked the bronze bars and throw the gate open to a renovated mindscape of green grass and sunshine. He had promised Konoha that he would be a Hokage that would fight the hatred engrained within the lifestyle of a shinobi, and make it an occupation of honor, similar to the Samurai of old, which were even now a dying breed. He had promised to eradicate the hatred within himself, and on all accounts, he had failed miserably. His mindscape was barely better than a fetid swamp, unlocking his seal would only mean his instant and apocalyptic demise, and his inner hatred seemed to be simmering somewhere in the labyrinth of hallways of his mind like an impish child playing an infuriatingly talented game of hide and go seek. It was under that impatient fury of self disgust that Naruto had waged a mental battle with the formulas of the Namikaze scroll. No matter how he growled and swore at the thing, Jiraiya had never offered his assistance, knowing that the seal's complexities were too advanced for his own assessment. He would poke at the fire and merely look at the frustrated blond with worry pinching his expression.

After playing with the thing for much longer than Naruto thought necessary, he had finally cracked it open, fully expecting to find nothing more than a high ranking businessmen's ancient black mail list. But what greeted his wide blue eyes under the mundane band was something he had only dreamed about. The ancient writing and deep purple ink made his Hime immediately come to mind, and he swore that amidst the ancient formulas and arrays he recognized a variant of the Hyuga Clan symbol. This was unlike any of the modern formulae he had studied, and his gut told him this was special, if for no other reason than the simple fact that it had somehow survived the village's destruction, plus several generations prior to that. Even so, when he held it in his hand, Naruto swore there was a hum to the filigree and calligraphy that beat with the magic of eons lost. Naruto had carefully sealed the treasure into his newest storage scroll, the most stable one he had yet created, hoping that within its mysterious writings lay the answer to the 'Hyuga Question' Hime had been seeking: how to remove the Caged Bird Seal forever.

This morning, feeling slightly rejuvenated from the fantastic find, Naruto and Jiraiya had set off down a faint trail that appeared to be marked by massive, moss covered rocks stacked upon each other by hands that must have possessed an unearthly strength, and carved into a style similar to the sacred gate of a clan shrine. It was down this overgrown path that Naruto now cut his way through the vines that webbed the island, carefully measuring his steps to allow Jiraiya to keep pace.

Today Ero-sennin seemed even more winded than usual, and Naruto was fretting over the state of his mentor. Had he pushed him too fast? Was the trail too challenging? He watched his godfather guzzle the last drop of water from his canteen, swiftly unsealing a fresh container and passing it to him.

"Ugh, this heat is killing me, and the humidity is only making it worse. I'm sweating more than a peeping tom in a hot springs, and I would know. How are you not even a bit warm?" Jiraiya incredulously wiped his face for the umpteenth time, eyeing his fully clothed disciple who only shrugged in response.

"I dunno, this climate doesn't bother me at all. It feels kinda…natural, I guess?" Naruto proudly patted the rich red cloak that he now wore over his black shinobi shirt, gifted to him by Shima herself in acknowledgment of his status as a Toad Sage. It was cut in the same style as his father's Hokage cloak, a fact that had not escaped him, and was trimmed around the bottom with black flames. Naruto had felt more depressed than he wanted to admit at the loss of his chunin vest due to the burning nature of his biju chakra, and when the Toads had presented him with the exquisite garment that matched his red _hitae-ate_ perfectly, Naruto had choked up with his appreciation.

"You just don't want to take off that fancy coat," Jiraiya teased, the lopsided grin back in place after finishing a second canteen of water. He reached up to tap the unique headband that had been his reward upon becoming a Sage, "Not that I can blame you. Shima has a knack for knowing exactly what gift suits a person."

They had set off once more, but eventually Jiraiya was unable to continue, the jungle seemed to be casting some kind of spell that was sapping his strength, even though Naruto felt completely fine. After staggering over to a fallen log, the Sannin had waved him on, telling Naruto to stop worrying, they were alone after all, and to keep exploring in order to discover what the source of the mysterious power was. Begrudgingly leaving Ero-sennin behind, Naruto had quickened his pace, not wanting to leave him waiting for long. That was when he found _the_ waterfall.

The place was obviously sacred, symbols were carved into the rocks surrounding the breathtaking natural wonder. The immense and ancient _fuuinjutsu_ of the hallowed ground tingled Naruto's senses like a deep breath of heady spice, and without knowing why he instinctively knelt and removed his shoes. There was a life to the oasis, like there was a heart beat in each flicker of the dense leaves. But to Naruto the beat became a rhythm and it called to him, the rocks seeming to sing as he got closer to the pool's melodic waves. The mist that filled the swirling waters at the foot of the crashing waterfall felt almost enchanted, and when Naruto stopped within its dank embrace he activated his senses and realized that it was pumping with chakra. A chakra like he had never felt before, familiar but strange. He walked along the edge of the pool, his bare toes sinking deliciously into the fine, cool sand, tracing the arrays of seals that adorned the rocks and trees all around him with trembling fingers. He wondered what kind of tool had been used to engrave the myriad of designs that covered the place like music notes jumping high and low across the grand staff, and as he opened his mind and heart, a story began to unfold through their symphony...

Back when the earth was nearly nothing, and Kami was the only beginning and end, the planets of the universe were locked in cosmic warfare. The powerful civilizations were corrupted by greed and lust, and harbored a hubris that had them thinking they could conquer the gods. Kami became disgusted with their deeds against each other and The Divine, weighed them on her heavenly scales, and found them wanting. However before the blade of her justice could strike, three souls called out to her asking for a second chance. Only three amongst the galaxies sought forgiveness and promised faithfulness and peace in return for her mercy.

In her magnanimous sympathy Kami plucked the three scions from their corrupted worlds and placed them together on a different planet where she commanded them to tend to the simple people, creatures, and nature of a young earth. _If you can prove to me that you have peace, love, and mercy in your hearts then I will bless you and your new home. If you fail, and turn once more to the greed and violence of your ancestors I will destroy this world as well, along with everything in it, and their demise will be your eternal damnation._

The natives regarded the three beings as gods themselves, saying they fell from the sun, moon, and stars. They were more powerful than imagination could comprehend, and used their gifts to foster balance and help their new home flourish. Each of The Three Scions possessed a mark of their alienation and power. The Tenseigan, the all seeing eye of healing and peace. The Mangeyko, the eye of history and justice. And the Rinnegan, the eye of creation and destiny. For hundreds of years they ruled over the earth with mercy and justice, and mankind thrived.

But nobody is immortal, and upon the end of their days they together created nine semi-divine chakra entities they called _bijuu_ , to protect and judge mankind so that Kami would continue to look upon the world with favor. They charged their creations with the command to always seek balance and peace.

The natural descendants of the three were each blessed with their bloodline, which was weakened by their mixed relations with the humans but remained powerful enough to manifest in certain families over the generations.

As with any imperfect world the lines that divide grew and people clung to their own clans and forgot the values left by their ancestors. The gifts of The Three Scions were diluted through the ages until the concept of 'powerful beings' became only understood as legend and lore, bedtime stories told to entertain children.

The bijuu were regarded as demons when they appeared sporadically throughout the eras and sought to level punishment upon the wicked. The humans who had inherited and harnessed the legacy of The Three Scion's chakra and dojutsu rose up against the monstrous embodiments of justice, and eventually gained control over them. The Sharingan became feared amongst the bijuu for its mind control. The Byakugan was used to hunt them down even in the darkest corners of the world. And finally, the sealing mastery of the Rinnegan's progeny would lock them away.

Thus the world forgot her purpose. Denied her destiny. And ignored her truths.

Mankind fell into a pattern of battling clans, constantly at war for land and resources and worst: ethnic domination. Kami saw what they had become, sharpened Her blade, and readied Her scales.

A single shinobi regarded by his peers as a descendant of the gods arose out of the midst of the chaos, preaching lessons of peace and justice. He sought to create understanding and bonds between the nations and went first to the three most powerful people to convert them to his ideals.

Senju Hashirama was not from one of the revered clans who could trace their lineage back to the Scions. His people were strong, but compared to the Uchiha, the inheritors of the Sharingan, he himself was just a shinobi of unusual talent and rare words. Yet Hashirama was able to forge a bond with their leader Madara, and together they founded a village that sought to end the ways of war. The Hyuga soon joined, adding the legacy of the Byakugan to their intimidating list of allies, and the village flourished. He reached out to the Uzumaki, who held the only claim to several captured bijuu and the extremely rare Rinnegan, but they refused to give up their independence. However a marriage alliance was solidified between The Shodaime and their princess, dowries were exchanged, and demons redistributed as signs of trust. All of this, under Hashirama's fiercely dedicated rule.

Kami saw, and sheathed her blade.

But evil never sleeps. Naruto was all too familiar with the story from here, and even though the writings on the rocks had reached their tragic end, The Last Namikaze braced his hands upon their charred stony faces and wept for what was lost, for what nearly was, for the slim hope of what could still be. The metaphorical yoke that he felt weighing upon his shoulders, painted in blood with the names of those who had also tried to pull the burden of the earth's fate behind them, yearning for greener pastures and sunny fields, settled upon Naruto's back. He bowed with the overwhelming pressure, assaulted by visions of the genocide of Uzushio that he had walked through day after day.

Jealous of their more powerful and rarer bloodline, the other nations rose up against Uzushiogakure and her lesser clans, wiping them off the face of the earth in a siege that culminated in the destruction of an entire nation, their economy, their wealth, their knowledge, and their chakra. Refugees disappeared into the spider holes of the shinobi and civilian world, taking their unique gifts with them, some never to be seen again. The swirling symbol that was once the proud sigil of their dōjutsu and their maelstrom tides was now dyed red in remembrance for their spilled blood and stitched onto every banner in Konoha, her last ally. In the wake of the massacre the Hyuga became paranoid and turned their clan into a disgrace of slavery and fear by converting their protective seal into a means of isolation and control. With the Rinnegan essentially extinct, the Uchiha now saw themselves as the most powerful eye in the world, their aggressive pride culminating in the betrayal of Madara against his truest friend, thus poisoning the ensuing generations with his greed for power until they ultimately destroyed themselves.

Tears slid unchecked down Naruto's whiskered face as he felt the blood of his people and so many others cry out to him from the earth. He sank to his knees, pressing his forehead into the damp sand, the agony of seeing the state of the world through his opened eyes causing him physical pain. As he groaned with the suffering of his knowledge, Naruto swore the ethereal hum of the waterfall had sharpened into the whirring slash of Kami's sword as She once again prepared to wipe the earth clean of its corruption. Fear gripped his soul at the idea of the death of every one he knew and had yet to know, and he bolted out onto the water in search of Her, calling out to the heavens for Her mercy, for one more chance, for _help_.

Dark laughter echoed over the waters as he ran blindly through the mist, and Naruto halted his racing strides, spinning to seek the source of the disembodied voice. Out of the cascading water a figure emerged, stalking towards him with a potently familiar killing intent rolling off of his broad shoulders like the beads of water over his yellow hair. His black eyes gleamed with the bloodlust that Naruto had fought against his entire life. His tanned skin was a patchwork of every scarred over wound ever inflicted upon a certain child by his own village, just for the ignorant excuse of having someone to blame. His whiskered face smirked back at Naruto with the same egotistical cockiness of power that flirted with his mind every time he learned a new jutsu. The unseen grudge this malicious twin carried upon his back was a burden Naruto knew well, he didn't need to ask who this other person was. He knew this man. Knew this hatred, this anger, this ache. He saw _himself_.

"They don't deserve our mercy," the man snarled. The two identities which shared a single soul circled each other, somehow now surrounded on all sides by the muted rumble of an all encasing waterfall. Naruto forgot which way he came from, his only focus was on the overwhelming aura of maleficence before him.

"They are the scum of the earth! They refuse to see us, refuse to respect us for what we are, they're only concerned with what they think they can get from us. They will turn on us the moment we let them down! _The world is broken_. The only way to fix it is to start anew. Only I am powerful enough to wield Kami's sword and balance the uneven scale, one head at a time!"

As he shouted his truths he knelt upon the water and pulled a long thick blade from beneath waves, black as death and sharp as fate. Naruto could feel the vengeance that was forged within the steel of the sword. Only something of equal purity, equal truth, but higher honor could combat such a hellishly divine weapon.

"True justice can never come from a source of hatred," Naruto called back, forcing himself to keep his clear blue eyes focused on the red and black death glare beaming from the man's face. "The love that binds us is a stronger bond, such a link cannot be broken by even the most powerful evil. Justice is the purifier of our love, mercy its nurturing, and peace its home. I will balance the scales by _adding_ myself into the world, fortifying the weak until they equal the strong."

"We say the same thing brother," the man cackled, tossing the blade to his other hand, as though testing the weight of it. "I seek peace as well. Justice is also my goal. But mercy is a weakness. Love: a lost cause. I will go out into the world just as you have proclaimed, and I will be the _Reaper_ of her lost souls. Behold MY truth." He lunged, attacking Naruto with a ferocity that was fueled with a lifetime of repressed brutality, and the sword barely missed him. The gust of wind that blew over Naruto in its wake made him gasp at the sweet torture of its tantalizing lust for vengeance. The lure of satisfaction and excitement when an enemy is slaughtered, and their blood is seeping from their veins to quench his insatiable thirst for an unholy reckoning. Naruto stumbled away from the heady emotional turmoil, seeking distance from the powerful feelings that he knew all too well. That he had succumbed to once already.

The man's eyes widened in frenzied joy at Naruto's reaction. "You feel it! You know the desire for vengeance! _Join me!_ Let us finally have satisfaction for our humiliation! Let us revel in taking back our dignity!"

"I see no joy in the killing of others for my own pride!" Naruto could feel the flicker within his soul of a nearly lost hope and he fanned the small spark into a flame of righteous fury for an honorable recompense. "Who am I to place myself in Kami's role as judge and executioner? I refuse to impart my own half blind version of a blood atonement upon the world. My actions cannot allow such selfish motives to poison them, or else the desire of my heart will be lost."

As he spoke a _Rasenshuriken_ was starting to swirl in his right hand. He opened his soul and poured out all the love he had ever known into that precious orb of chakra. Every moment of peace he had relished as he looked over the village from the hokage mountain. Every feeling of awe that had washed over him when he had stared at the stars as a child with Jiji by his side and a campfire crackling nearby. Every warm bellyful of ramen served with a silly joke under a protective roof as the rain poured outside. Every encouraging smile from Iruka as he determinedly worked through a problem. Every swell of pride as he mastered another jutsu and Dog proudly slapped him on the back. Every enveloping embrace of his Hime's arms when he knew without a doubt that home was not a building, but a place in his heart that was filled with her love, his other half, his _everything_.

"HERE IS MY TRUTH!" Naruto thrust the massive orb of blinding chakra high over his head, long arms of pure white power surrounding his creation and lashing through the air. "Raise your weapon and prove your own fate!"

They charged at one another, each fueled by his own vehemence for his beliefs. Their faces twisted with the exertion of their efforts. Chakra reverberated around the enchanted oasis like the gale force winds of a hurricane. Water erupted like a geyser as they collided at the bottom of the waterfall. There weapons ground upon each other with the screech of universal conflict. The earth shook and the rocks around the pious warriors burst as the _fuuinjutsu_ upon them flashed and exploded like fireworks. Naruto felt as though his soul was being turned over a burning fire, like his existence was molten glass in hell's furnace. He screamed as he felt his body pulled in a million directions, reshaped and blown upon the skewer of Kami's punty as she exhaled her breath into his being with such force he thought he might shatter. A vessel reborn, remade, purified for a purpose. Like an artist finally satisfied with the form of their glass, Kami cracked him free of her influence, immersing her newest creation, and Naruto was suddenly crushed under the shockingly cold water of the enchanted waterfall. Within its black depths he _knew_ Her voice.

**I see you, Child of Destiny. You embrace your Light but acknowledge your Darkness, and in doing so have overcome your hatred with truth. Your ambition is virtuous in my eyes. Your bonds are sacred and precious, and I will honor them as you do. So long as you walk this path, I will walk beside you and bless the perseverance of your endeavors.**

The ephemeral words were not heard with his ears, so much as felt within his bones, and Naruto wondered if he was dying after all, and this was all some magnificent hallucination conjured up in a fading spirit's final moments of panic. The corners of Naruto's vision started to darken as the need for oxygen burned his lungs and he struggled to the surface with frantic strokes. The light was so far away, it felt like he would never reach it. But he wouldn't give up, he'd never give up, he had a purpose, a destiny… _Hime_ …

It was as though an unseen hand thrust him out of the water and he found himself sprawled face down and gasping atop a rock in the middle of a small pond of calm, clear water, near a tranquilly trickling waterfall, surrounded by pristine forest. He dazedly blinked at his reflection in the barely rippling surface of the sweet water, and thought for a second that his eyes looked different, a swirling black overlapping bright blue. He shook his head but the fuzzy haze in his brain remained, yet now his reflection was the same blue-eyed face as always. Exhaustion washed over him and he felt his body giving out, the last thing he registered was the feeling of the Fox grinning broadly in his mind. _Kyuubi, I did it. Now we can be stronger than ever…_

The bijuu felt the seal begin to surge, and saw the fulfillment of the promise he had thought impossible, and answered Naruto with a tone of respect that no human had ever heard from his jaws.

**My name...is Kurama.**

* * *

"He's waking up! He's waking up!"

"Of course he is, you're shaking him hard enough to rattle his teeth."

"Well the gentle stuff didn't work. He sleeps like a rock."

"He gets that from you."

"Oh puh-lease! I caught you drooling all over your desk just like he is right now, all the time."

"Oi! It was exhausting keeping up with all that paperwork!"

"Maybe you wouldn't have had to rewrite so many documents if the originals weren't stained with your SALIVA."

"Ha! That's what _kage bunshin_ are for!"

Naruto was dead. He had to be dead, and these two bickering voices he heard must be the ones who tell him if he made it to heaven or hell. He cracked an eye open and immediately slammed it shut at the blinding white light. The female voice gasped at this reaction.

"I saw his eye! It's the same blue as yours Minato-kun!"

Now Naruto sat bolt upright, fully tensed for battle, hand grasping for a weapon pouch that was suspiciously missing, and mind racing a mile a minute.

"Alright assholes! Who the hell are you guys and what do you know about me?"

The man and woman didn't flinch, only stared at him in blatant surprise, but the moment quickly passed and the man leaned over and murmured into his companion's ear, "I think he has your mouth."

Naruto was still groping his own body trying vainly to locate a weapon of any kind as the appearance of the pair slowly registered in his blurry brain. The dots were just barely starting to connect when the red-haired woman's fist connected much more solidly with his head.

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH YOUNG MAN! I don't care how old you are, I am still your Mother and you will not use such language when you address me! Who taught you that?! Was it Jiraiya? It was Jiraiya wasn't it? Dammit Minato, I told you that skeevy pervert you call a sensei was going to corrupt our boy! The instant his soul touches the afterlife I'm gonna sink my foot so far up his ass he's gonna taste the color of my toe polish—"

"Shhh, shhh, shhh!" The blond man purred, patting her writhing strands of red hair until her snarling settled like an involuntarily contented feline. "Kushina, Love, perhaps we should focus on our son? He seems like he needs our attention."

Said son was hyperventilating as his wide azure eyes darted back and forth between the two alarmingly alive versions of his parents who now rushed to embrace him. His body locked up as four arms, two slender but strong and two solid but gentle, encased his stiff shoulders. They each held him, unwavering as he trembled and heaved, supporting him when his knees gave out, and smiling softly as he stumbled over syllables that refused to form coherent words.

**By the gods, all three of you are idiots.**

It was the familiar voice of the Kyuubi that snapped Naruto out of his stupor, his shock was so great that he couldn't even think of a snappy response. He hesitantly reached up and wrapped an arm around them both, gazing in wonder at the oh-so-familiar features from the often studied photograph he kept in his room, now animated with the expressions of love and adoration that he had always dreamed of seeing.

"So, I guess this is heaven then," he mumbled in awe, which got curious looks from them both, until understanding crossed his father's face.

"No, Son. You're not dead. We are remnants of our souls, woven into your seal with our chakra and our faith. We have always been with you, but you were not able to tap into our presence until you were strong enough to make it to this moment." Minato placed his hand on Naruto's head, which made him chuckle because they were the same height, and ruffled his identical spikes of blond locks as if he were only a kid. "We are so proud of you Naruto. What we knew you would have to overcome in order to be here is a miracle of faith. We always knew that you would be someone special, and we loved you fiercely from the moment we knew you existed. I wish we could have made it easier, but it is obvious that you have become a strong man with love in his heart and a true compass of morality because of all that you must have endured."

"And I can tell you're one hell of a shinobi!" cheered his mother, squeezing his shoulder and patting his Sage Cloak, even as she had to look up to meet his tear filled eyes with her own. She reached up and cupped his cheeks, tracing his whisker marks with a small smile of understanding. "I know what a burden the responsibility of being a Jinchuriki can be," she said in the soft tone of a mother soothing a child who has had a terrible nightmare. "It is something that can test even the most solid of minds, but you are not alone. You never were. You never will be. Your bonds that you create are the safe harbor that protects you from the storm, and you fortify them with your love. The chaos can never touch you if you are surrounded by the people who care for you."

Naruto nodded, his mouth trembling with emotion as he swallowed thickly and briskly wiped his tears away. Taking a small step back, he took a deep breath and drank in the sight of the people he had prayed to meet, if only for the blink of a dream. There was so much he wanted to tell them, so much he wanted to ask, but first, there was something he knew he had to do.

"Actually," he grinned at them, the wide flash of teeth matching his mother's perfectly, the crinkle of his eyes mirroring his father's to a tee. "I don't just want to build a harbor, I want to calm the storm. And I think you two are just the help I need."

He clapped his hands together and suddenly the trio were standing in the ankle deep water of the familiar sewer within his mindscape. Minato walked over to the massive bronze bars, knocking on them with his knuckle and smirking. "Not bad eh?" Naruto chuckled as he crossed his arms and stood shoulder to shoulder with the greatest seal master to ever walk The Leaf.

"Nah, not bad at all. But it's got to come down, and you're gonna do it."

Minato huffed, but never doubted his son for a moment. "Alright. You got the key I gave to Gerotora?"

Naruto squinted in thought, "Yeeaaahh, about that…"

Kushina spun around from where she had been studying the carved name of a girl upon the wall when she heard the yelp of her husband and rushed back at seeing him doubled over Naruto's fist before sinking to his knees.

She could tell it wasn't nearly hard enough to do more than knock the wind out of the man, but raised a chastising glare to her son all the same. Naruto dusted his hands and grinned unashamedly as he chortled, "Who the hell can make that fancy seal and not think of a better way to store the key?"

Kushina wrinkled her brows down at her husband, who was gaping like a fish out of water, and realization dawned. "For Kami's sake Minato, I told you that was a terrible idea."

"I guess…I deserved…that." Naruto pulled his father to his feet and laughed openly as he helped straighten the white Hokage cloak over his shoulders, the striking visual of their uncanny resemblance was driven home as his own red Sage Cloak shifted around him. The special sight was not lost on Kushina, and she sighed nostalgically, a hole in her soul stitching closed with the satisfying sound her men teasing each other. Her eyes wandered over their shoulders to the massive orange Fox that was trying to not look immensely entertained by the fact that the boy had just sucker punched the Yondaime.

"Hey there Foxy-Chan! Did you miss me?" The bijuu's ears immediately went flattened upon his head at her joyful shriek and nine lethal tails whipped up and over his head. "I'll take that as a 'yes'," she chirped, ignoring the rumbles of his growl. "Anyway! Enough messing around! Naruto said he needed our help, and this place ain't gettin' any better without some elbow grease. So," her smile turned feral as miles of chakra chains shot out from her back, each link the size of a barrel, tipped with sharp spikes, and dancing through the air with the fine control of a true Uzumaki, "what's the plan?"

Naruto whistled in awe at the impressive sight, slightly put out that he didn't inherit that badass bloodline. His father was blushing amorously as he stared at his beautifully lethal wife and something that might have been a whimper escaped the Kyuubi, although the Fox would never admit it in a million years.

"Easy there Kaa-san," Naruto scratched the back of his head as he watched her pout and retract her chains. "Kurama and I don't work that way."

His parents turned to face him, wonder filling their expressions as they glanced from their son to the Embodiment of Hatred behind him. "He…he told you his name?" Kushina whispered.

**The brat earned it. He is not just a shinobi, he is Kami's Chosen. He has the eyes to prove it. Show them, Naruto.**

For an instant Naruto was so taken aback by hearing the bijuu behind him frankly state the conclusion of what felt like a fever dream, that he nearly forgot what he had seen in his rippling reflection just before losing consciousness upon the water. He swallowed hard, he'd never done this before, and his own parents, of all people, were now looking at him with such eager anticipation it was like he was a baby about to take his first step, which he kinda was…sort of?

Taking a deep breath, Naruto closed his eyes and concentrated on his chakra, remembering how Hime had described it, and pooling it in his gut, filling, filling, filling, until the swirling felt like a _Rasengan_ in his stomach, then thrusting the power up into his eyes, into his mind, into his senses, and calling out, " _Rinnegan!_ "

Minato was the first to find his voice, his tone nearly reverent with solemnity as he observed the powerful dojutsu looking back at him from his son's face. "I see," he said, and then steel hardened his own azure gaze. "We are with you Son, not even death can stop us now."

* * *

Jiraiya looked up with a start as Naruto burst out of the brush, nearly tackling him where he still sat upon the same log, just about to put pen to paper.

"Ero-sennin! You're here again? Oh Kami I'm so sorry if I worried you! You'll never believe what happened to me!"

"Uh, you've only been gone like five minutes, Gaki. What'dyo see some massive spider or something? Oh! Or maybe stumbled across some ship wrecked damsel in distress?" Jiraiya leaned sideways to peer around the spluttering blond.

"WHAT? But I've been gone for _weeks_! I found this magical waterfall thing and then met my evil twin but I won and then I met my parents and we freed Kurama and trained day and night and talked and laughed and cried and—"

Jiraiya got to his feet with a small grunt and grabbed Naruto by the face, silencing his incredulous rambling by roughly turning his head this way and that, inspecting him for the knot that must have been left behind after a smack to the head of such force to make even this thick skulled kid see things. But nothing was amiss, and the sincerity in Naruto's eyes was undeniable.

"I don't understand, you just walked away to follow the trail, and before I could even get settled you came busting back out of the jungle. Start from the beginning, tell me everything." Jiraiya crossed his arms, his expression serious and anxiety buzzing through his gut. There was something different about his godson, his body was the same, but it was like his presence was bigger somehow.

"I'll do better than that, I'll show you!" Naruto closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose, and with a pulse of chakra that flowed through him with the ease born from hundreds of rounds of practice, he opened them once more.

Jiraiya sat down heavily upon the log, nearly sliding off the back of it with the abruptness of his fall. It was unmistakably the Rinnegan, but so very different than the soulless, glazed over gray gaze that had always characterized Nagato's eyes. Naruto's eyes remained the same clear blue of the summer sky, with all the life of an undulating ocean tide. His pupil had spread out into a swirl that perfectly reflected the whirlpools that surrounded his homeland and adorned his ancestral crest. The power behind the dojutsu was undeniable, but the gentleness was still obvious.

"Ho-ly fuck."

Naruto ' _tsked_ ' him, wagging a scolding finger at his stupefied mentor. "Now, now, Ero-sennin. Kaa-san said you need to shape up and start following the Shinobi Code or else she was going to haunt you by ruining all your favorite peeping spots. Even the one by some river on the southern side of Konoha near the Uchiha district where she and some lady named Mikoto caught you that one time, she said you'd know what that meant."

Jiraiya grabbed his chest, he was nearly having a heart attack at this point. "Oh my Kami, you met Kushina?! You didn't tell her I let you read my books did you? Sweet merciful heaven please say you didn't!"

Naruto was shaking his head frantically, "Hell no! I don't have a death wish!"

Jiraiya sagged with relief, limply leaning against the mossy trunk of a sturdy tree and fanning his face with the long tail of his hair. "Konoha, no, the five nations have no idea what is in store for them, do they?"

Naruto grinned with all the guile of a professional prankster with a plan, and his Rinnegan twinkled with mischief. "There's more." _Kurama!_

**Ah! Let's show that Old Toad Charmer what we can really do!**

The last thing Jiraiya saw before he fainted dead away was Naruto's body engulfed by the fire of the sun, but not consumed.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains explicit sexual content.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**CHAPTER 32**

"Alright, see you back at the hotel," Naruto gave Jiraiya a mock salute before they parted ways on the empty dirt road, the Sannin sauntering down toward the city in the valley ahead, humming a jaunty tune in his eagerness for some metropolitan delight after the long weeks spent in the jungles and ruins of Uzushio. Naruto shook his head and chuckled at his mentor's lecherous plans, then turned to assess the leafy forest full of sturdy branches with a childish glee. The myriads of limbs that were perfect for leaping called to Naruto in a nostalgic desire to soar with the birds. A quick check of his senses assured him that no one was nearby to bear witness, and with a broad grin he ignited like a solar flare and flashed across the treetops to the coordinates he and Itachi had agreed upon.

Naruto felt the years fall away and relished the sweet memories of home and bounding through the outskirts of Konoha's sun dappled forests with his red scarf and his Hime trailing behind him. The wind carried him as he gave himself over to its manipulations, rolling through the gusts like a leaf tumbling through invisible currents. The beauty of the landscape touched his soul, and his spirit inhaled the rejuvenating sight. He practiced channeling his Nature Energy as he moved, flowing with the wind instead of fighting against it, searching for the pinpoint precision of divine balance between the pure elements of Nature and the demonic chakra of his _Biju Modo_ , that precipice of existence which made the vastness of the universe come into focus and yet let the details of day to day life fade away.

As he launched himself with an almighty kick his body twisted to catch the breeze like a bird swooping through the air, the equilibrium of his dual identities perfected, and the glorious equipollent epiphany washed over his consciousness. Suddenly he wasn't Naruto, he was a creature of Kami's intentional design. He wasn't just alive, he was one with creation. He wasn't simply happy, he was high on the glorious complexity of his mere existence. There was no Konoha, no shinobi, no Akatsuki. Just day and night, birth and death, the circle of life. All the chaos fell away and what remained was the warm rays of the sun and the dedicated singularity of the earth as it faithfully spun along its axis in accordance with the choreography ordained by Kami's celestial song. Naruto raised his face to the sun, worshipping in the cathedral of Her creation as he bore witness to the majesty of Her works, and he once again felt the overwhelming inferiority of his life in comparison to the infinite complexity of the universe. The Energy of the Natural Elements poured through his internal network, enlivening every cell, every organ, every fiber of his merely human body, and it knit within him to elicit a purified emanation that filled his awareness with the essence of Kami Herself, and he felt Her smile upon his adoration, nourishing his mortal body with a restorative feast of serenity and strength.

As he landed and leapt from yet another treetop, a sudden irritation poisoned his adulation. Naruto slowed his arching progression across the treetops, squinting as he scanned the expansive undulations of the green canopies in search of the thorn amongst the roses. The beauty of the Natural Energy evaporated as he focused in on the invisible flaw in Kami's masterpiece and through his remaining _Biju Modo_ he was able to pinpoint the malevolent source.

Naruto veered in the direction of the potent hatred he sensed, all the more revolting to his perception after experiencing the majesty of Kami's favor. His own irritation flared into righteous anger, how dare something poison this peaceful hovel with such malicious hatred? His eyes pulsed, but he managed to hold back the Rinnegan from spiraling into existence, instead drilling his slitted red eyes upon the dead tree up ahead.

The thing had been split down the middle by a long ago bolt of lightning, was devoid of any vegetation, and wormed through with beetle tracks. The branches curled like the claws that tipped each of Naruto's fingers. For some unexplainable reason it seemed, _sentient_. Aware of his approach, and frenzied at his nearing proximity. The emotion was rudimentary, so simple it was almost fake, but the power of its potency was very real.

Without hesitation, Naruto lunged for the emaciated tree, smashing his fist into the brittle bark of its split trunk with the ease of a sharp blade slicing through satin. The entity within the tree screamed in shocked pain, and two flat yellow eyes blinked up at him in horror from the seams of the bark, before the entirety of the tree burst into a viridescent kaleidoscope of vivacious flora. Naruto whipped around, scanning the surrounding forest for any other sign of the foul aura, but all that greeted his senses were chirping birds and the flap of a crow's wings.

Itachi morphed from the red-eyed crow, his feet touching the earth just as Naruto's body descended out of his demonic aura into his mortal state. The two shinobi stared at the tree, once dead, and now overwhelmed with life as its healed trunk and wide branches seemed to stretch in the breeze like a prisoner freed.

"What was that thing?" Naruto asked, his azure eyes turning to the solemn man whose Sharingan was glowing in astute observation.

"A 'Zetsu'. It is a mutation of humanity, a by-product of an imperfect resurrection. They have no soul, no real understanding of what it means to be human. They possess some chakra, a result of the jutsu used to create them, but are poor shinobi, and worse people. Unable to comprehend anything other than the most basic of emotions, with no understanding of the complexities of what is good or evil." Itachi's eyes dimmed into the inky black of his normal iris, and he furrowed his brow as he faced Naruto. "I was aware that they had been commanded by Leader to spy on the various people of the Hidden Villages, and lead us to the jinchuriki which he desires to capture, but out here in the middle of nowhere, I fear perhaps they are attempting to follow me."

Naruto crossed his arms, clenching his fists as worry for this man that he had come to respect plainly stated his fragile standing amongst the most vicious ninja of the shinobi world. If ever there was a martyr for justice, it was this unassuming person before him.

"Itachi-san, if there is anything I can do—"

"No."

Naruto barely bit back the growl that welled up within him, his sense of fairness more than offended at the blunt dismissal of his offered assistance. "Dead men cannot protect their precious people," he said in a strained voice. "It's okay to save yourself once in a while."

Itachi's lip twitched in a small smile, his gaze shifting from the now flourishing tree to the young man before him, who always seemed to see through him, even when he guarded himself the most. "My purpose in this world was never one of prosperity. I seek to be a useful tool of Kami's design, to see my brother thrive, to fulfill my role and retire to my eternal fate. Whatever it may be. I am not a saint, Naruto, even the Divine have tainted weapons."

The air shifted, as though the scenery was responding to their moral debate, lifting Naruto's cloak in a swirling breeze while Itachi squinted in the gust of wind, reaching up a hand to brush away the hair that beat into his face. They assessed each other, weighing the futility of their perspectives against the other's, and Naruto finally shook his head in frustration.

"And how is the Teme? Still running around with that creepy body snatcher?"

Itachi's eyes gleamed as he answered, "I have heard rumors that there is a new leader in the Sound Village. Some son of a local dignitary with unusual ideas for how to run a province full of mostly shinobi and outcasts the likes of which make the Bingo Books look like bedtime stories."

Naruto laughed, the comparison being the closest thing to a joke that he'd ever heard from the Uchiha informant. But he was also much quicker than most people realized, under his jovial exterior laid an observant demeanor that understood humanity in a way that few could equal. "So there's a puppet upon the throne in Sound, eh? And you think that Sasuke is pulling his strings?"

"Orochimaru would never relinquish control to another, he would simply assume the role himself, even if under disguise."

"I see," Naruto smirked, running a finger under his nose in thought. So it seemed his rival had been busy as well. _Hopefully he's good enough to match Hime whenever she gets her hands on him._

**If your mate finds him before you do, you may not have a rival.**

Naruto bit back a snicker at Kurama's never subtle admiration of Hime, sometimes he wondered who liked her more. Itachi was looking at him with curiosity in his eyes, and Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. But before he could try to explain away his internal debate Itachi asked him, "That chakra surrounding you before, it was from the biju, but you were perfectly in control. Have you truly conquered your demon?"

The tails of Naruto's headband whipped back and forth as he vehemently shook his head. "We have forged a bond. He allows me to use his chakra and with it I fight for our united cause. I am not here to conquer people, only hatred." Naruto could feel the intensity of Itachi's scrutiny as he listened to the grandiose declaration, so he continued to eagerly explain. "I saw things in Uzushio, things that made me question my purpose, my _real_ purpose. I want so much more than to just be Hokage, or just collect powerful jutsu and simply shove it in everyone's face that I am some super jinchuriki. I want _peace_. I want _justice_. I want to see everyone thriving together on this earth without fear of persecution. I want to save the world from itself."

Itachi's eyes widened slightly, a dramatic show of shock for the Uchiha, and he couldn't deny the ache in his heart for such a place. In a world like that, his family would still be alive, his brother would be happy, and the Leaf would be whole. But he'd heard such lofty words before. "Leader says much the same," he mused in a deep and solemn tone. "He wants to use the biju to wage war on the Hidden Villages, remove them all from power and establish The Akatsuki as the harbingers of peace. Through pain he seeks to unite humanity, removing the need for shinobi to maintain peace."

Thoughts of Ero-sennin passed through Naruto's mind, how he had spent a good portion of his life as a shinobi trying to foster hope for a better future in those around him, to balance out the deeds of his profession, only to be nearly murdered by his own student who now proclaimed to be some sort of dark savior. "This 'Leader' seems to have a very narrow view of mercy and a broad plan for punishment. Retribution must be balanced by compassion in order for respect to grow between shinobi and civilians, so that we can encourage cooperation instead of blind obedience out of fear. I have traveled through many a town that initially regarded me with uneasiness until I showed them that jutsu and chakra were not only for fighting battles."

"The Yondaime used to say much the same thing," Itachi said softly, looking upon his blond companion with a wistful gaze. "Sometimes I wonder, if he had lived, perhaps my clan would still exist…" Naruto saw the way the cold obsidian eyes of one of the most feared rogue Nin in all of the five nations softened ever so slightly as he contemplated the possibility of a future where martyrs were not necessary.

Naruto's shoulders hunched at the uncharacteristically sentimental comment, a gut twisting empathy hitting him as he thought of the ANBU child prodigy that was once Uchiha Itachi, and saw the worn assassin that now stood before him. He looked closer at the young man who had aged so prematurely under the burdens of his life, worn was perhaps an understatement. His face was paler than normal, and the lines under his eyes seemed deeper than ever. He knew Itachi wasn't healthy, but any questions had always been harshly denied. _I wish I could take him back to Konoha. Hime says Sakura is renowned for her medical research, I wonder if she could help cure him?_

But there were steps to be taken before that hill could be climbed. And Naruto's mind had also picked up on a comment made earlier that could help accomplish those steps much faster.

"Itachi, what did you mean earlier when you said that Zetsu was a 'resurrection'?"

The man bowed his head, closing his eyes as he pieced together the best explanation of the abominations that he so detested. "From what I can tell, Leader uses his Rinnegan to force chakra into the unique corpses that he creates from combining earth and water into a type of natural substance through a process similar to the Shodaime's _Mokuton_. They have no soul, but his dojutsu is able to produce a bastardized sort of life form with basic animal understanding, and fixed loyalty to its creator. I have seen him do the same but with human corpses, they retain their chakra affinities and abilities, but once again are simply soulless drones. He calls them the 'Paths of Pein', and he can only maintain six at a time."

Naruto's mind was now spinning a mile a minute. "Can the Rinnegan place a unique soul back into a specific body?" He had been scouring every carving, wall mosaic, scroll, and folklore he could find on his new dojutsu, searching in Uzushio, Mt. Myoboku, and even grilling his parents. This was the reason he had made arrangements to meet with the only other person he could trust that had seen the Rinnegan in action.

Itachi frowned, obviously not pleased at the possibility of the Akatsuki possessing such an ability, but shook his head in honest ignorance. "I have not seen him attempt it. I can imagine it would require an immense amount of chakra, and his Rinnegan is not really his own natural eye, so I believe it has limitations."

"Not his own?" Naruto's face scrunched up in consternation. "Where did he get a Rinnegan from?" _And at such a young age, Ero-sennin said he's had it since he was a child._

"I am not sure, but I have told you about the other man, the one who never is seen but even Leader appears to obey. I believe he knows the eye's origins. And that he uses this information to maintain a forced loyalty of some sort." Itachi stood calmly as ever while Naruto began pacing back and forth, his mind always worked better when he was moving.

**It could be why his Rinnegan is not the same as yours. They were implanted from a mind already tainted with hatred, and then influenced further by a contemptuous man's preachings after his time with the Toad Sannin. As he got older and more powerful it would only lead to increasingly impure jutsu, and cause his Zetsu to be creatures that reflected his hatred. It was the hatred that the creature carried which you detected while channeling my chakra.**

_Ah, and between the hate-filled Rinnegan and teachings he became so twisted that he would kill his best friend for power over the Akatsuki and turn on his childhood teacher. And it would make sense that a corrupt character could produce differences in the bloodline of its owner, the same way Sasuke's Mangekyo is a result of his attempt on my life, but Hime's Byakugan is one of the strongest in her clan because of its purity and her healthier mental balance._

Itachi was mutely watching Naruto mumble to himself, he had learned long ago that this particular jinchuriki had a unique relationship with his Demon, and was always keenly fascinated by the way he could interact with such equanimity between himself and an immortal entity. The next question from Naruto's mouth only further reflected the fact that he was several thoughts further in a mental conversation that Itachi was not privy to.

"The biju that he has already captured, where are they now?"

"The jinchuriki are in a coma-like state, being kept alive by cocoons created with the same type of substance that Leader uses to make the Zetsu. Once he has captured them all…I am not sure exactly what the next step will be, only that he means to use them to conquer the world."

"But they are alive?" Naruto asked intensely while stepping closer, and Itachi thought he saw his fierce blue eyes begin to slit like a fox's. He nodded warily, for while he trusted the son of Minato implicitly, the Kyuubi was another matter.

"Yes, four of them, two from Stone, one from Lightning, and one from Taki. And we have heard rumors that the three tails may be loose somewhere in Kiri."

Naruto slammed a fist into his palm, determination sweeping through his mind as he felt Kurama thrash his tails at the news of his brother being vulnerable and out in the open. "Thank you, Itachi! I will do whatever it takes to keep the rest of the biju out of the Akatsuki's grasp."

Their time was nearly up, and they both knew it, lengthy meetings were never wise between informants. Naruto placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder, piercing him with eyes full of concern that made the Uchiha see their resemblance to another Namikaze who used to look at him in the same way. "Take care of yourself Itachi. When this is over, I will have a place for you in Konoha. That's a promise!"

As Itachi blinked in surprise, the blond disappeared in a yellow flash, leaving the man who saw himself as undeserving of forgiveness, contemplating the heartbreakingly sweet idea of salvation.

* * *

Hinata walked out into the dying daylight and sank down onto the wooden planks of the _engawa_ , massaging her temples as she took in deep breaths of the humid air. Summer was dwindling in Konoha, but the humidity kept the night warm and she could feel that her bangs were stuck to her face with the perspiration from her healing efforts. The moist atmosphere offered little relief from the stuffy room where three Hyuga now lay suffering from the after effects of a punishing jutsu that the clan had thought perished from their history with the previous leader.

She felt the boards shift under her as Hiro-san shuffled up from behind, and heard the soft clink of a tea tray being placed by her side. Hinata turned up her face and offered the woman a grateful smile, reaching for the steaming cup as she tucked her feet up beneath her and leaned back against the sturdy post which supported the roof.

"You need to take more breaks Hina-chan," Hiro scolded her gently, pulling a small jar of salve from her pocket and setting on the tray before settling down onto a wooden bench. "Your fingertips are raw with chakra burns. Hizashi-sama has enough to worry about without you collapsing on us."

Hinata shifted guiltily as she tried to disguise the way she held her hot cup with her palms, the tender tips of her fingers were painfully sensitive to the heat radiating through the china. She blew softly over the rim of her cup before answering with a hint of frustration to her tone. "There is no one else who _can_ help them. The Elders have forbidden us from going to the Hokage, and Otousan agrees with them. I understand that this is a sensitive matter, but this makes five victims in just the last month." She glanced over her shoulder into the room where candles glowed dimly, an attempt to not further irritate the painful migraines that still plagued the latest victims, her gaze settling on the motionless form of the man on the far left. It had been three days and he had not so much as blinked. Hinata feared the worst, that his brain had been damaged beyond repair by the sudden activation of his seal. He was by far the worst case yet, and frustration at the unknown cause of it all flowed through Hinata's body as she spun back around to face the sunset, agitatedly swinging her feet from the porch like a restless child.

"I'm sure they are doing everything they can, just like you," Hiro-san leaned forward and pulled the limp strands of midnight hair back from Hinata's scowling face, adopting a matronly tone as she neatly separated the thick tresses into three parts and began to braid them together. "Neji-kun will be here shortly, why don't you go rest? I can manage with him for a while."

Hinata sighed and closed her eyes, wanting to purr like a cat under the gentle tugs on her scalp. She could smell the sweat that clung to her skin, and the thought of escaping to the refreshing river water made her spirit lift. She had been the main caretaker of the victims, being the only Hyuga formally trained in medical jutsu. This fact was not lost upon the council.

Three days ago Hinata had sat for an hour through a heated council meeting, arguing her beliefs on the victims' treatment. "More Hyuga need actual medical training", she had fiercely asserted. "But more than anything we need to seek help to modify the seal or eliminate it all together, before we lose everything we have worked for."

"Impossible, Hiashi destroyed the chakra key left by the seal designer," one of the Elders had growled, his tone implying what he thought of the young woman's presence in the council chambers.

"Then we need to find someone to recreate it, or find a way around it. I know a shinobi who—"

"You know an awful lot for a chunin," another council member had snapped. "It seems like all our solutions need to go through _you_. Your treatments. Your advice. Your ideas. Your connections. Have you forgotten your place? The Clan has only just escaped one dictator, I do not wish to replace him so quickly!"

"Thats enough!" Hizashi had brought down his fist upon the table with just enough force to convey his anger without seeming to be outraged. "My daughter has only ever done what she thinks is best for the Hyuga. She is the apprentice of the Godaime, I see no reason to disregard her words."

Next to him Neji had silently drilled each person with steel hardened eyes, making it plain that the successor of the Clan Head agreed with his father's words. The meeting had been dismissed shortly thereafter, emotions were running too high to discuss anything with any hope of progress. It had been later that night that the most recent victim had fallen, a guard on gate duty who suffered from such a massive seizure that he had yet to awaken.

The elaborate scare tactics were spreading paranoia amongst the closely knit clan. Neighbors were looking twice at one another, guards patrolled the inside of the compound at all hours, one Elder had suggested enforcing a curfew. The dream of a united Hyuga seemed further away than ever.

And they had no idea who was doing it.

Hinata hadn't realized how tightly she was gripping her empty cup until she felt it slowly yanked from her clutches. She looked up into her brother's concerned face, and tried to smile at him as she accepted his extended hand and stood to her feet. The sun was gone from sight and the radiant magentas of the disappearing sunset streaked the wispy clouds that hovered high in the sky. Her back cracked and popped as she straightened up, testifying to the hours she had spent hunched over her patients.

Neji's dark brows drew together in a display of concern that sat upon his features more and more often when he looked at his sister. She was tired and stressed, they all were. But she was also lonely, he could see it in the wistful way she patted the pocket of her shirt where he knew she always kept Naruto's latest letter. The most genuine smiles she had were when she stole away to read his words under the tree of their childhood training ground where the three of them had taken their first steps as friends and shinobi. He knew she considered himself to be one of her closest confidants, but he was under no illusions as to the depth of her connection with Naruto, even if she had not made it known amongst the Hyuga…yet.

"Go relax Imoto," Neji told her in a tone he hoped sounded authoritative as he set the rescued tea cup down on the tray Hiro-san had left. Hinata blinked, wondering when the woman had departed, so lost she had been in her thoughts and worries. She glanced at the doors to the room that had become the infirmary for her patients but Neji placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "They will be here when you get back, I promise. An empty flask can quench no one's thirst."

Hinata huffed at his condescending words, but squeezed his fingers in appreciation of his care. The first cool breeze of the whole day shifted through the arriving twilight, and her less than fresh body odor wafted up to her nose. Perhaps a visit to the water was just what she needed after all.

* * *

The heavens danced around her as she spread her chakra into the water. She was the moon, revolving in a pirouette of perfect centrifugal balance, the droplets around her sparkled like the stars of the sky as they reflected the glow of her power. The purple aura caressed her body as she commanded it through her network, and the _Byakugo no In_ pulsed in time with the veins on her temples. She pushed outwards, pouring her wells of chakra through the entire atmosphere, touching every precious bead of liquid within her endless sight, her exquisite control, her equanimous consciousness. Tremendous waves of stored chakra, the likes of which no one comprehended she could ever possess, rippled the atmosphere, joining in her lunar performance. Hinata reached deeper, further, faster, whipping the elements around her body into a crescendo that would rival the intensity of an orchestra, her fingers conducting the gift of her talents into a display of beauty for Kami's eyes.

Her mind fractured into a million directions, tracing the path of each molecule of moisture with her _kekkei genkai_ , connecting them again and again into a chain of consciousness that felt the breath of every creature, every exhalation, and every movement. Her Byakugan sharpened into a crystalline picture that could see further than any eye on the earth, and Kami smiled upon her little moon goddess, drinking in the rivers that poured from her oceans of worship, and raining down more blessings upon her.

Hinata felt the touch of the moonlight upon her like the tender brush of a mother's hand against her cheek, and her heart soared. With renewed determination, she threw her entire existence into continually seeking that embrace and flickered swiftly across the multifaceted reflections of the starry waters.

The moon was high overhead when she finally dragged herself out of the river and collapsed into a boneless heap of contented exhaustion upon the large rock that hung out over the water. A quick check assured her that the privacy seal Naruto had taught her was still firmly in place upon the tree by where her clothes were discarded. After the Bikochu mission he had given her a customized array that he promised would keep her little training sessions completely unwitnessed and uninterrupted by anyone on the outside of the invisible barrier, while still allowing her to see and hear everything.

Hinata sighed as she settled onto her back, the rock was still warm from the sunshine, but the cool air carried a hint of autumn. The change of seasons reminded her that Naruto-kun's birthday was only two weeks away, and she sighed again, but with much more longing. Her mind drifted over the letter she had received yesterday, promising he and Jiraiya would be back in time to take the Jonin Exams, and she bit her lip at the excited butterflies that still engulfed her stomach when she thought about having him home again, in her arms again, kissing her again…

Heat that had nothing to do with the weather bloomed in her face as she sat up and pulled her hair over her shoulder, languidly untangling the sopping wet braid that reached past her hips. Hinata twisted the thick plait, wringing out rivulets of water that trickled over her hands and down her arms. Fat drops fell from her bangs onto her chest, rolling over her curves and between her breasts. Her mind wandered back to another night by a different river, when her hands had been tangled up in spiky blond locks instead of sliding through her own dark hair, and seemingly of their own volition her fingers traced down the side of her neck and danced over the swell of her chest, which tingled under the delicate touch.

Her breath caught at the sensitivity of her own caress, but she didn't fight the shiver that slid down her spine as her wayward fingers circled her quickly peaking nipple. Kami, she must be desperate, because all it took was the thought of his mouth following the path of her fingers for her head to roll back and her eyes to slide shut in delicious bliss. She felt the heat that flushed her cheeks travel down into her belly, pooling into a tempting ache that begged for satisfaction.

Mental images long treasured for such lonely nights were flashing through her mind as she allowed herself to lean back on one arm and guide his imagined touch across her tense body. She dragged her nails down her abdomen, flattening her palm across her hips and gliding it as though it was his own rough hand seeking purchase on her while he pinned her down. Her center started to throb with need, but she ignored it, squeezing her thighs together to delay her own satisfaction as fantasies she would never admit to conjuring played out in her mind.

The throbbing climbed up her gut and radiated over her torso, making the _Hiraishin_ seal on her back pulse in sync with her desire. The moment of his marking, when he had wrapped his strong arm around her, pulling her into him, pressing her breasts into his chest, her hips into his abdomen, and _himself_ into her thigh…a moan escaped her at the memory. He had been so tired, so enraptured, so focused on his task, that she didn't think he even realized that she had been very aware of his firm length. But she had definitely not forgotten, she only wished she could know more.

Her hand gripped her thigh on the place where she had felt his rigid desire against her body, and in the nearly painful grip of her own hand she missed the way her chakra flared with her escalating arousal.

Naruto was standing under the shower of the hotel room when the sudden sensation hit him, so powerful it was dizzying and he reached out to brace himself against the tiled wall. _What the hell was that? It feels like…Hime?_

He closed his eyes and opened his senses, quickly latching onto her Hiraishin seal, fear that she was in trouble making his heart pound. But when he solidly locked onto her, a wave of emotions stole his breath away, and he grunted as he hunched over, cradling his stomach as it lurched in excitement over an event he didn't understand. _This doesn't feel like a summoning, the chakra isn't right. It's more like an...overflow. Her chakra is spilling into the seal along with her emotions._ There had been a moment, the last time they said goodbye, when he had thought he could sense her sadness and love, but he figured it was just a product of their strong connection and close embrace. Perhaps, it was more than that? Maybe their deeper chakra connection and his closer proximity here in a city on the edge of the Land of Fire had allowed him to tap into the emotions that were carried on her chakra through the seal?

The beating of his heart didn't slow, and he decided to test out this new theory, honing in on her mark and opening his senses while pushing his own chakra into their connection. The unmistakable thrill of adrenaline that made his chest tighten whenever he held her in his arms engulfed his mind. He missed his Hime desperately, thought of her constantly, day dreamed of seeing her smiling face once more. But the longing that was pouring through their connection reminded him more of the dreams that owned his sleep, when he awoke in the morning with more frustration than satisfaction.

Even now, his desire was rapidly rising in response to her intensity, his mouth dropped slightly open as he felt his own carnal instincts react. It was like a very fuzzy dream, nothing was distinct, but the essence was there, and it was full of _yearning_. Naruto grunted as his body responded to the overwhelming lust that her emotions were fostering within him, the connection like a hot iron that stoked his body with her passion, settling into his groin with a heat that drew his hand downwards over his wet torso until he found himself gripping his hardening cock. He could picture her in his mind, splayed out beneath him with her midnight hair trailing off the bed, his mouth following her fingers down her neck and across her collarbone. The fantasy was vivid and familiar to his lonely mind, but the responding surges of passion that he felt pouring out from her made it feel all too real, and he stroked himself firmly under the hot water, unable to hold back the hunger for her body. His eyes flew open as a new thought invaded the haze of longing, _she's…she's doing this too?_

Hinata jumped as the seal on her back suddenly came alive, and she arched as the powerful sensation of his chakra throbbed upon her skin. The need that had been building up within her from her own erotic teasing magnified under the influence of the passionate emotions spilling from his unique chakra. The sensation was like stepping into a hot spring that engulfed her body, and she gasped as she instinctively wrapped her arms around her chest, escalating the riveting sensation by pressing her breasts together. She had not realized that her chakra was so agitated with need, and now it seemed to have triggered him as well. An idea occurred that made her heart pound. _Is he responding to me?_

The mental image of him standing over her, watching her with dark eyes as she stretched out under the moonlight, bare to the heavens and kneading the fullness of her own breasts until her nipples were stiff in the cool air spurred a boldness within her, and Hinata gave into her lust, caving like a ship in a storm. She wasn't sure how much he could feel, but she wanted him to _sense_ her. Let him drown in her desire. She dragged her hands down her stomach, moaning freely for her imagined spectator, mentally stripping him down layer by layer until he was like a marble statue of male perfection under the pale glow of the moon. She could practically see the carnal desire in his pointed gaze as she clawed her fingers, dragging them up her thighs and pressing her legs open, daring him to hold back at the glimpse of her hot core.

Naruto couldn't hold back, his fist pumping eagerly up and down his throbbing erection as her surging lust dragged him along down a spiral of vivid fantasy. The Hime in his mind was writhing beneath him, digging her nails into his broad shoulders as he groped for purchase on her round ass with rough hands. She was begging him for more, leveraging her hips up into his groin in a siren call for him to fill her, to satisfy her, to _fuck_ her.

His shoulders tensed and flexed under the beating water of the shower as he bit his lips hard in an attempt to stifle his groans. His fantasy was eating him alive, he could almost smell the musky sweat of her body and their skin slicked together. Practically feel the moist dampness of her folds as his fingers teased her open for him, thrusting first one, then two, deep inside her tight depths as she keens out his name with abandon.

Hinata couldn't hold back her scream as she sank a trembling finger into her wet center, her body curling up under the immense tension winding tightly under her kneading hand. Her imaginary Naruto-kun had given up on simply being a bystander, and she closed her eyes as she pictured him falling to his knees before her and throwing her legs over his muscled shoulders, sinking his sharp teeth into her inner thigh with a delicious pain that he instantly soothed away with hot kisses. His mouth trailed down, pulled toward her soaked center, and she whimpered as his tongue darted out to flick across her clit. A second finger joined her first and she rolled her thumb over her firm nub, the tingling sparks of her building climax bringing her fever dream into even sharper focus as Hinata called out her lover's name.

"Naruto-kun!" his fantasy Hime was crying out his name now, and Naruto panted as his hips snapped reflexively with each pump of his hand down his hot shaft. The pressure building up in his groin fed into the tension of his fantasy as he sank his cock deep inside her, thrusting hard enough to rock her breasts until he pinned them under his large hands. In his mind's eye he leaned back, kneeling between her spread legs as he watched himself disappear into her over and over again, the sound of her voice a chant in his mind. "Fuck, Hime." He growled, grabbing her hips and bringing her firmly down onto him, his eyes locking onto her face, her cheeks flushed a sinful red and her eyes dancing through her dark lashes. "Come for me, Hime." Each thrust of his pelvis synchronized with a pulse of chakra, and his words projected out from his mind to reach for her across the miles. _Come for me, now!_

Hinata felt the surging of his chakra, each wave more powerful than the last, her hand working in time with the beat of his passion, her fingers diving deeply into her tightening pussy and gripping her breast. In her mind she threaded her hands through his golden hair, pulling his hot mouth against her as the glorious pressure of his tongue worked her clit in tandem with his thrusting fingers. "Naruto-kun, I'm going...to..." _NOW_.

Their chakras peaked and burst together, euphoria crashed over their senses and wracked their bodies as their minds united in a rhapsody of blinding pleasure. Their pounding hearts beat in a rhythm that met in perfect time even over the impossible distance. And as they each panted out their climax they felt their chakras mellow into the warm glow of burning embers, cozy and familiar, and carrying the nearly audible whispers of their souls to one another, _I love you_.


End file.
